petty
[ pet-ee ]
/ ˈpɛt i /
adjective, pet·ti·er, pet·ti·est.
of little or no importance or consequence: petty grievances.
of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor: petty considerations.
having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc.: petty minds.
mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things: a petty person.
showing or caused by meanness of spirit: a petty revenge.
of secondary rank, especially in relation to others of the same class or kind: petty states; a petty tyrant.
Origin of petty
1325–75; Middle English
peti(t) small, minor < Old French
petit < Gallo-Romance
*pittīttus, of expressive orig.
SYNONYMS FOR petty
1
nugatory,
negligible,
inconsiderable,
slight.
Petty,
paltry,
trifling,
trivial apply to something that is so insignificant as to be almost unworthy of notice.
Petty implies contemptible insignificance and littleness, inferiority and small worth:
petty quarrels.
Paltry is applied to something that is beneath one's notice, even despicable:
a paltry amount. Something that is
trifling is so unimportant and inconsiderable as to be practically negligible:
a trifling error. Something that is
trivial is slight, insignificant, and even in incongruous contrast to something that is significant or important:
a trivial remark; a trivial task.
3 small.
4 stingy, miserly.
OTHER WORDS FROM petty
pet·ti·ly, adverb pet·ti·ness, nounWords nearby petty
Example sentences from the Web for pettiness
British Dictionary definitions for pettiness
petty
/ (ˈpɛtɪ) /
adjective -tier or -tiest
trivial; trifling; inessential
petty details
of a narrow-minded, mean, or small-natured disposition or character
petty spite
minor or subordinate in rank
petty officialdom
law
of lesser importance
Derived forms of petty
pettily, adverb pettiness, nounWord Origin for petty
C14: from Old French
petit