petty
Use Petty in a sentence
i adjective, pet·ti·er, pet·ti·est.
1.
of little or no importance or consequence: petty grievances.
2.
of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.; minor: petty considerations.
3.
having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc.: petty minds.
4.
mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things: a petty person.
5.
showing or caused by meanness of spirit: a petty revenge.
Origin:
1325–75; Middle English peti(t) small, minor < Old French petit < Gallo-Romance *pittīttus, of expressive orig.
1325–75; Middle English peti(t) small, minor < Old French petit < Gallo-Romance *pittīttus, of expressive orig.
Related forms
pet·ti·ly, adverb
pet·ti·ness, noun
Synonyms
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.
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.
Antonyms
1. important. 4. generous.
1. important. 4. generous.
00:10
Petty
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
Richard, born 1937, U.S. racing-car driver.
2.
William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne, Lansdowne, 1st Marquis of.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To petty
Collins
World English Dictionary
petty (ˈpɛtɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj , -tier, -tiest | |
| 1. | trivial; trifling; inessential: petty details |
| 2. | of a narrow-minded, mean, or small-natured disposition or character: petty spite |
| 3. | minor or subordinate in rank: petty officialdom |
| 4. | law of lesser importance |
| [C14: from Old French | |
| 'pettily | |
| —adv | |
| 'pettiness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
petty
1393, "small," from O.Fr. petit "small" (see petit). In Eng., not originally disparaging (cf. petty cash, 1834, petty officer, 1577). Meaning "of small importance" is recorded from 1523; that of "small-minded" is from 1581. An old name for "Northern Lights" was petty dancers.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences from the web
On the issue of raising taxes, petty was a definite proponent of consumption taxes.
Also it give deepwater diving and mine diving lessons to officers and petty officers.
In some later version, the nurse is burnt at the stake, the punishment for petty treason.
As a youth, he became a petty criminal and a member of street gangs in his home town.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
