petty
- adjective
- /ˈpɛti/
- She focused on the petty details instead of the broader picture.
- petty theft
- petty traders
- petty bourgeoisie
But about things are so petty, so trivial, so absurd.
- But about things are so petty, so trivial, so absurd.
- It's all these like petty things, right?
- So it was like that, but it was petty stuff, teenage stuff.
- Think about people who, you know, engage in petty theft, for example.
- We preserve the so-called peace of our country by deeds of petty violence every day.
- Aristotle's God is not concerned with our little petty squabbles.
- Just remind yourself these things that are petty on the surface always tap into deeper feelings.
- We as human beings, man, we judge each other for some petty stuff.
- First of all, there's a level of forgiveness of the day, petty annoyances.
- You know, you're getting really annoyed with the most pettiest of things.
- Perfect pickle placement for my for my petty little buddy.
Examples
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So it was like that, but it was petty stuff, teenage stuff.
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There's no such thing as a petty crime.
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It's all these like petty things, right?
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So maybe slightly petty to get rid of it, but I just really hate that.
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I am a very petty person and I am very proud of that.
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And yesterday was the Super Bowl of petty politics.
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After all this, it seems so petty.
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It's just a sort of petty act of revenge.
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Ladies, let go of your petty complaints, and let's work together!
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Instead, they fill their minds with petty nonsense, gossip, and thoughts of revenge.
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
Less important than the main thing or coming after it
Not important and not well known, often used for people or small businesses
A person of low rank or importance, for example a servant
Very small or unimportant and not worth worrying about
Too small or not important enough to matter
A person who has a less important job or less power in an organization
Too small or not important to matter
Of little value and not important
Lower in rank or status than other people in the same group
Having lower rank or position in a workplace
Not important or serious compared with other things
Very small and not important
Small in amount and not important
Unimportant and not worth attention
Small and of little value or importance
Very low in value and not important
A small annoying problem or worry that does not need serious attention
Small in size or amount, often used in law and food
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
A sailor with a middle rank in the Navy or Coast Guard who leads other sailors
- Formal
Taking something worth less than a set amount, for example a small item from a shop
- Specialized
A social class of small shop and business owners and lower level professionals
- South African
Keeping people of different races apart in everyday public places like hotels and trains
- Formal
A group of twelve people who decide the facts and verdict in a criminal or civil trial
- Specialized
A woody plant from southeastern North America to Mexico with strong-smelling roots and clusters of small flowers
- Specialized
A high-ranking sailor in the US Navy or Coast Guard who leads and trains other sailors
How Important
Surface Forms
Etymology
Petty comes from an old French word petit meaning 'small', the same root you see in English petite. So something petty is literally 'small' in importance, which is why it means unimportant or minor.