as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also pigmy
1
as in dwarf
a living thing much smaller than others of its kind
hummingbirds may be the pygmies of the avian world, but what they lack in size they make up for in beauty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in number
a person of no importance or influence
regrettably, most of the candidates for the party's nomination that year were political pygmies
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pygmy
Calvin Milliner, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Tupi's undeniable cuteness and quirky personality have turned the capybara into a viral sensation, helping boost visibility for the San Antonio Zoo during a time when zoos are eager to replicate the viral success of animals like Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo.
—Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025
Then, another newborn pygmy hippo named Haggis skyrocketed to fame at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
At least one other baby pygmy hippo made a public appearance to fanfare this year — Toni, in Germany.
—Manuela López Restrepo, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Noun
Common hippos usually give birth underwater, while pygmy hippo calves can be born on land or in water.
—Calvin Milliner, ABC News, 27 Dec. 2024
Tupi's undeniable cuteness and quirky personality have turned the capybara into a viral sensation, helping boost visibility for the San Antonio Zoo during a time when zoos are eager to replicate the viral success of animals like Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo.
—Madalyn Mendoza, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025
Then, another newborn pygmy hippo named Haggis skyrocketed to fame at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
At least one other baby pygmy hippo made a public appearance to fanfare this year — Toni, in Germany.
—Manuela López Restrepo, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
-
The 2024 edition of this diminutive all-arounder—capable of gaming, media playback, and light productivity—sees an improvement in processing power over previous iterations thanks to the A17 Pro chip.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
-
The button bush is not a diminutive plant, reaching up to 12 feet tall by 4 feet wide at maturity.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.—
Robert Higgs,
cleveland,
1 Feb. 2023
-
The dwarf variety grows to be about 5 to 7 feet, ideal for a small garden or accent in a room with limited space.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
The state has not disclosed the exact number of enrollees under the expansion.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
-
The tickets matched five winning numbers but not the Powerball in the drawing Saturday, March 29, the national Powerball site said.—
Don Sweeney,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Liberals' smallest lead was in a poll conducted by Innovative Research among 1,548 Canadian citizens, which showed the party with a lead of just 2 points, on 36 percent to the Conservatives' 34 percent—a lead within the poll's 3 percent margin of error.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Sutter Health Park’s capacity of 14,000 is very small compared to other MLB stadiums.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.—
Janelle Davis,
CNN,
7 Feb. 2023
-
Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.—
Evan Bush,
NBC News,
21 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
Alternatively, the frogs may have been drawn to the site by insects that thrived on the crops being processed there.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Plants produce lovely blue flowers (or white in some varieties) that attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Governed by a growth mindset devoted to the logic of disruption, moving fast and breaking things, a flourishing structure of feeling about AI and art history has sprung up on the grounds of very little AI-and-art-history to have feelings about.—
Sonja Drimmer,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
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As the village abbot never far from the woods, or from Martine’s little dining room table, Jacques Develay manages the trick of utter simplicity in his motives and line readings.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Most of the movie is a vaguely comical swipe at Napoleon in domestic life—an awkward lover, a jealous husband, an inveterate complainer, and in sum an annoying twerp.—
Kyle Smith,
WSJ,
21 Nov. 2023
-
Kind of a little twerp, now and again.—
Ashley Fetters Maloy,
Washington Post,
7 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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