pettiness

[ pet-ee-nis ]

/ ˈpɛt i nɪs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for pettiness on Thesaurus.com

noun

the quality or condition of being of little, lesser, or no importance, consequence, or merit; insignificance: The economic cost of these wildfires pales into pettiness when compared to the real victims—the wildlife and the natural landscape.The film is a comedy about the boredom, pettiness, and general strangeness of working in an office, as the protagonists spend their days plotting a way out of their dull and meaningless jobs.

the quality or condition of having or expressing limited ideas, interests, etc.; narrow-mindedness:The novel is set against a background of small-town deceit and pettiness.

the quality or condition of being unkind, stingy, or ungenerous, especially in small or trifling things; meanspiritedness:Their pettiness is perhaps best demonstrated by the threatened removal of an assortment of services provided to residents—things like fresh fruit, free coffee, and a monthly outing.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pettiness

petty + -ness

Words nearby pettiness

petticoat insulator, petticoat narcissus, pettifog, pettifogger, pettifogging, pettiness, petting, petting zoo, pettipants, pettish, pettiskirt

How to use pettiness in a sentence

The Dallas-Washington matchup had all the pettiness we’ve come to expect from the NFC East, along with tough defense and a third-string quarterback.
We Remain Baffled By The NFL’s So-Called Contenders|Sara Ziegler (sara.ziegler@fivethirtyeight.com)|December 13, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
This is hardly the greatest tragedy of Spears’ life under conservatorship, but the pettiness is telling.
Three New Britney Spears Documentaries Tell a Chilling Tale About the Bystander Effect|Judy Berman|September 28, 2021|Time
For Swift, it’s a powerful flex, a brilliant example of fan service and an exercise in high-minded pettiness, all at the same time.
Taylor Swift’s new take on ‘Fearless’ piles on the nostalgia, along with some revenge|Allison Stewart|April 12, 2021|Washington Post
I really feel, at 60 years old, I’m sort of glad I got to indulge some of the pettiness of what I’d been.
Sean Penn: Well Beyond Hollywood|Eugene Robinson|April 1, 2021|Ozy

It is a fascinating story of rivalry and even pettiness, albeit with huge stakes in the form of prizes, patents, profits, and prestige.
Decoding the CRISPR-baby stories|Katie McLean|February 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Rather, he dishes up a seemingly endless stream of examples of pettiness, irritation, hypocrisy and awkwardness.
Fear And Self-Loathing In Scandinavia: The Fiction Of Karl Ove Knausgaard|Ted Gioia|May 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pettiness could be no issue—photograph all of your children, rainbows, sunsets, and kittens.
All You Need to Be a Modern Digital Stalker Is a Smartphone|Tauriq Moosa|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why turn a genuine good-news story into an expression of childish pettiness?
What Is William and Harry's Problem With The Press?|Tom Sykes|February 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It represents instead a sorry reflection of the pettiness of current political debate in Washington.
Obama Will Lose Recess Appointment Case, but Will Other Presidents Lose Their Power?|Andrew Cohen|January 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And it makes the pettiness and obstinacy on display in the U.S. over these negotiations all the more unseemly.
Fiscal Cliff Stalemate Needs Two-Party Solution|Daniel Gross|December 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
We might read between the lines his noble love of mankind, his compassion for our helplessness, our mortality and pettiness.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
And on these faces, there was a certain pettiness and coldness not observable on those of the poorer women.
The Daughters of Danaus|Mona Caird
But eventually some experience will reveal to them the pettiness of their estimate, and a readjustment of values is made.
The Leaven in a Great City|Lillian William Betts
Back they would come at night, and the terrible, narrow maelstrom of pettiness sucked them in.
The Butterfly House|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman
Under cover of their primitive Christianity I never found more pettiness.
Tramping on Life|Harry Kemp

pettiness

Origin of pettiness

Words nearby pettiness

Words related to pettiness

How to use pettiness in a sentence