petty
adjective
of little or no importance or consequence.
petty
1 American
[pet-ee]
/ ˈpɛt i /
adjective
-
pettier,
comparative
-
pettiest
superlative
-
of little or no importance or consequence.
petty grievances.
- Synonyms:
- slight, inconsiderable, negligible, nugatory
- Antonyms:
- important
-
of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor.
petty considerations.
-
having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc..
petty minds.
- Synonyms:
- small
-
mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things.
a petty person.
- Antonyms:
- generous
-
showing or caused by meanness of spirit.
a petty revenge.
-
of secondary rank, especially in relation to others of the same class or kind.
petty states; a petty tyrant.
Petty
2
American
[pet-ee]
/ ˈpɛt i /
noun
-
Richard, born 1937, U.S. racing-car driver.
-
William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. William Petty Fitzmaurice Lansdowne.
petty
British
/ ˈpɛtɪ /
adjective
-
trivial; trifling; inessential
petty details
-
of a narrow-minded, mean, or small-natured disposition or character
petty spite
-
minor or subordinate in rank
petty officialdom
-
law of lesser importance
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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
Explanation
Petty used to mean just "petite" or "small," but now it's used for things that are trivial and shouldn’t matter much. If you host world leaders and spend more time picking napkins than memorizing names, you're focused on petty things. A few neutral meanings of petty are still in use today — such as "petty cash," which refers to a small amount of cash on hand — but most uses of petty since the 16th century are negative, as in "narrow-minded," "trivial," and "of little importance." A "petty argument" is a popular expression, because many people get all worked up over something that isn't very important — a petty concern — that seems much smaller after the heat of the moment.
Vocabulary lists containing petty
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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I Am Malala
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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.
See Examples For:
So we’ll pardon Jones for his deliciously petty reaction to what Jake Tapper, the emcee of CNN’s “Election Night in America” telecast, awkwardly described as a “blue-nami.”
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026
“As a man who loves me some good petty drama,” Luke says, “I can’t wait for this story to unfold in the weeks ahead. Honestly, it outshines the actual football.”
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
Before the arrival of the Sisters of Mary Morning Star, the death row inmates had been plagued by petty infighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Set in a fictional trailer park in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, Trailer Park Boys follows the adventures of three longtime friends and petty criminals.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“You’re not exactly unbiased when it comes to questioning your parents,” he said, and he knew it was a petty, underhanded thing to say.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
A U.K. source shared that this was because this wasn’t an audience of Tom Petty fans but rather random people who’d put in for tickets and wouldn’t have been encouraged to be enthusiastic.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
“Formerly home to music icon Tom Petty and superstar Selena Gomez, this spectacular estate offers distinctive architecture crafted with exceptional attention to detail and the finest quality,” the listing added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
Annie Hoare was among family members waving off HMS Queen Elizabeth from the shore, as her son Thomas is a Petty Officer Weapons Engineer on board.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
My wife typically gets bored quickly in a vintage clothing store, but when I find her the perfect-fitting Tom Petty or John Lennon shirt, she perks right up.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Petty Officer Haldon Lac cringed and squinted up at him.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
“If I find him annoying, that means that maybe I’m going to come in a little bit pettier than usual,” says Martin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2024
Listen, I’m sure there will be a lot of sturm und drang about what the whistleblower disclosures mean for Elon Musk’s Twitter deal, but I want to focus on something dumber and pettier: Jack Dorsey.
From The Verge ● Aug. 23, 2022
It’s a juicy lineup of familiar characters who are greedier and pettier than those that usually populate historical epics.
From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2021
Like most reality shows, “Housewives” thrives on drama — the pettier the better.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 22, 2020
He mingled those comforting suggestions of a potent and exceptional human being emancipated from the pettier limitations of integrity with the Napoleonic legend.
From Tono Bungay by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Again and again, Bass went after Raman in the pettiest, most personal ways.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
It’s elementary: Characters can do outlandish things, commit outrageous crimes, be inspired by the pettiest of motives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
Furst insisted no topic is off the table, from the pettiest accusation to the most serious charge.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
Pruitt used his office for the pettiest of graft, betraying the public trust as a matter of course.
From Slate ● Jul. 5, 2018
You're letting the pettiest and unworthiest thing in you—a twisted instinct—consume all that's vital and fine.
From The Tyranny of Weakness by Paul Stahr
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