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:
Another option, something Briffault admits is petty but has been done before, is to slash the salaries of people at the agency responsible for the unlawful behavior, or even folks who worked on it.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Trade bible Variety called it a "lacerating portrait," while Deadline said the "damning" film had "thrashed" Musk as "petty, narcissistic, megalomaniacal, cruel."
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
"It started as petty anti-social behaviour pre-Christmas and has escalated to significant shoplifting and theft. We've got to put an end to it," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Peter the Great’s Westernizing reforms had only produced “enlightened slaves,” the worst of which were the chinovniki, petty bureaucrats: “uneducated, hungry, fit only for ‘service,’ familiar only with official forms.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
We didn’t fight often, and when we did, it was typically over petty things, a string of pent-up aggravations that surfaced usually when one or both of us got overly fatigued or stressed.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
It was her grandad who introduced her to rock music, playing Tom Petty and Bob Dylan on long road trips.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 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
In the view of Stephen Petty, a chemical engineer and industrial hygienist, the data was also flawed because the testing company hired by Norfolk Southern took background samples in contaminated areas, among other things.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Petty Officer Powell fell forward in his chair and carefully snubbed out his cigarette.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
“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
Some of his fellow pros and some of the lords of the game don’t like DeChambeau for other, pettier reasons.
From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2021
The tyrant hankers after cities, or wide territory, or harbours, or formidable citadels, things far more troublesome and more perilous to achieve than are the pettier ambitions of lesser men.
From Hiero by Henry Graham Dakyns
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
Know this about the greatest teams: They’re the pettiest, most punctilious outfits you ever saw.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2023
Apparently in the pettiest manner imaginable, judging by Monday morning’s episode of Fox & Friends.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2019
“In the pettiest character there are unfathomable depths.”
From A Singer from the Sea by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
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