Definitions

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

Her neighbour, 71-year-old Kusum Mishra, who arrived 50 years ago, also dismissed the "petty compensation" offered, complaining that "they are uprooting us and destroying our lives."

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

"It needs to be nipped in the bud because today's petty thief is tomorrow's bank robber," he says.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

We didn’t fight often, and when we did, it was typically over petty things, a string of pent-up aggravations that surfaced usually when one or both of us got overly fatigued or stressed.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Vocabulary lists containing petty

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I

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I Am Malala

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