PETTY Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

petty

adjective

ˈpe-tē

Definition of petty

as in small

not broad or open in views or opinions a petty little town that was not ethnically diverse and very happy about the situation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nominal

so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention obsessed over even petty problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 petty The goal is bigger than my petty stuff with this guy, so that was really fun to play. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026 Stanley’s co-defendant, Heather Morrow, is convicted of the same petty offenses and misdemeanor assault on an officer. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026 For those who were convicted of a prior felony, any subsequent charge — including traffic offenses or petty crimes — would be enough to require law enforcement to alert ICE about them. — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 3 Oct. 2026 Drawing lines between the city and the ‘burbs in such a way is petty and unbecoming of a Chicagoan. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for petty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for petty

Adjective

Manfred says small-market success is rare, while the union argues the Rays-Brewers World Series matchup shows baseball can work without a cap.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Massachusetts ranks third for the annual cost of raising a small child but 18th over 18 years.

— Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

If interest expense exceeds nominal GDP growth, a debt spiral could occur.

— Justin Zacks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Municipal compost operations tend only to accept leaves generated by that town and may also provide small quantities of finished compost to residents for free or at a nominal charge, according to DEEP.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of nominal

Adjective

The Weather Prediction Center has already placed most of South Florida under a Level 2 risk of excessive heavy rainfall with a slight risk of flash flooding on Sunday.

— Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Yet Georgia coach Kirby Smart wasn’t surprised in the slightest to see Puglisi step in and execute the offense.

— Connor Riley, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of slight

Adjective

Those qualities are attractive, but concentrating exclusively on them directs many investors toward the same narrow set of service companies.

— Chris Russo, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2026
The winning architecture is a stack of narrow intelligences pointed at what each one is good at, coordinated through a harness that knows which one to use when.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of narrow

Adjective

To non-historians, the difference of a few years might seem rather trivial.

— Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
But in Season 4, the balance is off, and the fictional president’s parallels to our real-life war-starting, ally-betraying POTUS only make the former’s plight feel that much more trivial.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of trivial

Adjective

Here's where the high diesel prices add up tough – what little hay there is, is a lot more expensive to harvest.

— Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026