as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
a pygmy elephant
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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
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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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Examples of pygmy in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
Chiara Kim, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Around the same time, Wildlife World Zoo will welcome a female pygmy hippo.
—Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 12 Oct. 2024
Well, during the show’s Season 50 premiere, star Bowen Yang appeared on the Weekend Update Desk as Moo Deng, the viral baby pygmy hippo from Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
Appearing as the viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng, Yang played his character as an overwhelmed young starlet in the vein of the pop musician Chappell Roan, who’s been publicly wrestling with the weight of fame in recent months.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pygmy 
Noun
Pop stars, quotable movies and shows, Olympic memes and one pygmy hippo dominated pop culture this year.
—Chiara Kim, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Around the same time, Wildlife World Zoo will welcome a female pygmy hippo.
—Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 12 Oct. 2024
Well, during the show’s Season 50 premiere, star Bowen Yang appeared on the Weekend Update Desk as Moo Deng, the viral baby pygmy hippo from Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2024
Appearing as the viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng, Yang played his character as an overwhelmed young starlet in the vein of the pop musician Chappell Roan, who’s been publicly wrestling with the weight of fame in recent months.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pygmy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pygmy
Adjective
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The American crushed the diminutive Martina Hingis in two of her three major single victories.Tim Ellis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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This one gets off to a so-so start, leading with material about the diminutive height of everyone in his wife Olivia Munn’s family, based on the levels of Asian ancestry per member.Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Emperor tamarins are dwarf monkeys with whiskers that resemble a white moustache.Robert Higgs, cleveland, 1 Feb. 2023
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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
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The fire, which burned an as-yet-undetermined number of homes and buildings while threatening Grand Lake, increased an extraordinary 150,000 acres in size Wednesday night and Thursday to become the second-largest wildfire in Colorado’s recorded history.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
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After six rounds the judge accurately guessed the number 89% of the time.Stephen Ornes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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His priorities include veterans’ rights, advocating for small businesses, protecting the border and education, according to his campaign website. AD-64 includes a portion of Los Angeles County and La Habra in Orange County.Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 7 Nov. 2024
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Researchers trained rats to jog on a treadmill To scientifically measure that observation, researchers captured two dozen vampire bats from Belize and trained them to use a small treadmill typically used to measure the metabolic rates of rats.Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
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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
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Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Noun
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With their hearing about four times more sensitive than a human's, bees and other flying insects can wreak havoc on dogs.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Most people don’t think of insects as a factor in climate change.Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Be warned, though: make some extra room in your suitcase for souvenirs, because this little city has a whole lot to offer.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Last month, the White House confirmed that North Korea—a country with few allies and little money—had sent thousands of soldiers to join Russia in its war against Ukraine.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
Noun
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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
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Kind of a little twerp, now and again.Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2022
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Cite this Entry
“Pygmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pygmy. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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