Petty
1 Americannoun
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Richard, born 1937, U.S. racing-car driver.
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William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. William Petty Fitzmaurice Lansdowne.
adjective
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of little or no importance or consequence.
petty grievances.
- Synonyms:
- slight, inconsiderable, negligible, nugatory
- Antonyms:
- important
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of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor.
petty considerations.
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having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc..
petty minds.
- Synonyms:
- small
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mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things.
a petty person.
- Antonyms:
- generous
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showing or caused by meanness of spirit.
a petty revenge.
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of secondary rank, especially in relation to others of the same class or kind.
petty states; a petty tyrant.
adjective
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trivial; trifling; inessential
petty details
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of a narrow-minded, mean, or small-natured disposition or character
petty spite
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minor or subordinate in rank
petty officialdom
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law of lesser importance
Related Words
Petty, paltry, trifling, trivial apply to something that is so insignificant as to be almost unworthy of notice. Petty implies contemptible insignificance and littleness, inferiority and small worth: petty quarrels. Paltry is applied to something that is beneath one's notice, even despicable: a paltry amount. Something that is trifling is so unimportant and inconsiderable as to be practically negligible: a trifling error. Something that is trivial is slight, insignificant, and even in incongruous contrast to something that is significant or important: a trivial remark; a trivial task.
Other Word Forms
- pettily adverb
- pettiness noun
Etymology
Origin of petty
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English peti(t) “small, minor,” from Old French petit, from unattested Gallo-Romance pittīttus, of expressive origin
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the 184-page decision that American lawmakers made public shows the commission acting like a petty despot, with little if any regard for due process.
The words were petty, but I knew what he meant.
From Los Angeles Times
But some backbenchers have complained about "petty factional manoeuvring" and are calling for the decision to be reconsidered.
From BBC
No one wants to resuscitate crime in Manhattan but you can’t blame John Turturro’s petty thief if he’s nostalgic for an era when wallets still held cash.
From Los Angeles Times
I realize this may sound like petty complaining.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
