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.
“The small minded of the world don’t like thinkers and doers, especially when they succeed.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
Everyone knows that their new bosses are small minded and petty, and everyone expects tomorrow to be worse than today.
From Slate • Feb. 7, 2025
"This is the tyranny of the petty and small minded."
From Salon • Oct. 4, 2023
I found it amazing how small minded L.A. people are about the place.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2020
Just imagine how small minded these people are.
From Two Years in the Forbidden City by Der Ling, Princess
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.
