PETTINESS Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

pettiness

noun

Definition of pettiness

as in negligibility

the quality or state of being unimportant the astonishing pettiness of most of the things that she fusses over

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pettiness Trump’s pettiness and impetuousness has combined to literally put former high ranking American officials in physical danger. — Kevin Igoe, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 Also forbidden was anything that emphasized the suffering of soldiers or revealed the pettiness of commanders. — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026 Selfishness and pettiness are not twentieth century inventions. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 These mostly harmless quips resemble the type of pettiness that once ran roughshod across the Lone Star State, back when eight Texas programs were members of the Southwest Conference. — Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 1 July 2026 The pettiness of that is stunning. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 June 2026 But there was also a lot of pettiness by critics whose motivation seemed to be rooted in the desire to prevent Raquel Regalado, the commissioner sponsoring the legislation to open the center, a victory. — Jim Defede, CBS News, 21 June 2026 As the subtitle promises, their answers are shared with all the vulgarity, pettiness, and arrogance intact. — Juliet Izon, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026 Romance, steamy chemistry, and loads of pettiness — these are the staples of Love Island USA. — Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettiness

Noun

Illinois lawmakers in Washington need to find ways to work together for the good of the Prairie State, moving to higher ground and setting smallness aside.

— John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
With awe, the feeling of smallness is inspired by something that makes our own concerns and capacities seem trivial – something like God or the divine.

— Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of smallness

Noun

Beyond that, Jack was such an overwhelmingly powerful figure, not simply politically but emotionally, that everything else faded into insignificance.

— Laurence Leamer, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
The rooms were part of Kusama’s ongoing exploration of self-obliteration and her career-long ambition to create work that provokes a keen awareness of both one’s individual insignificance and place in the wider cosmic system.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of insignificance

Browse Nearby Words

pettifogging

pettiness

petting

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“Pettiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettiness. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pettiness

noun

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