petty

[pet-ee] / ˈpɛt i /

ADJECTIVE

trivial, insignificant

Synonyms

STRONGEST

frivolous lesser minor narrow-minded

STRONG

base inessential inferior junior light little lower peanut scratch secondary shallow shoestring slight small subordinate trifling

WEAK

casual cheap contemptible inconsequent inconsiderable irrelevant measly negligible nickel-and-dime niggling paltry penny-ante pettifogging picayune piddling shabby small-minded two-bit unimportant

Antonyms

STRONGEST

greater major

STRONG

big enormous first-class first-rate great huge immense important large significant superior

WEAK

consequential necessary prominent useful

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.

It was a petty beef arising from disrespectful comments made to someone’s girlfriend, but Tylon Hardy responded anyway.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

"There was still humour, good food, movies, school, petty fights, and romance. To suggest otherwise is to reduce a culture to its trauma," she said.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

It feels like a petty grievance—yet another example of greatness being conflated with dullness.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

OpenAI counters that Musk, who is now also an AI player with xAI, is motivated by petty revenge, having failed to seize majority control.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Although they don’t say anything petty or snarky, I can tell right away that they’re jealous of my cousin.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Vocabulary lists containing petty

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

I Am Malala

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Even More Negative Words to Describe a Person

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!