small-minded
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of small-minded
First recorded in 1840–50
Explanation
Someone who's small-minded has a narrow perspective or very firm, unchangeable opinions on things. It's almost impossible to get a small-minded voter to change his or her mind. If you're small-minded, you have a biased view of the world, and you're probably not very tolerant of those with different opinions or experiences. It's as if small-minded people can't step outside their own perspective to empathize with others. A small-minded governor might want to keep all immigrants out of his state, and someone with a small-minded focus on money won't understand your dream of being a poet.
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.
Determined to give her niece a stable upbringing, Aunt Irene unhappily but dutifully left a comfortable life in Ohio to return to her small-minded hometown in the Deep South.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Speaking ahead of his appearance, he said he wanted to show people he was not "mean-spirited, small-minded, nasty".
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2023
Sometimes you'll run into really small-minded people who feel the need to challenge you on your decision to not drink.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2023
Bill Plaschke’s obsessive hatred of the Astros does little more than reveal how small-minded he is.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2023
I think the disappointment was in myself, for thinking that Samir was simply a small-minded chatterer.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
