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puny
[ pyoo-nee ]
/ ˈpyu ni /
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adjective, pu·ni·er, pu·ni·est.
of less than normal size and strength; weak.
unimportant; insignificant; petty or minor: a puny excuse.
Obsolete. puisne.
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Origin of puny
First recorded in 1540–50; spelling variant of puisne
OTHER WORDS FROM puny
pu·ni·ly, adverbpu·ni·ness, nounWords nearby puny
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use puny in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for puny
puny
/ (ˈpjuːnɪ) /
adjective -nier or -niest
having a small physique or weakly constitution
paltry; insignificant
Derived forms of puny
punily, adverbpuniness, nounWord Origin for puny
C16: from Old French puisne puisne
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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