petty
adjective/ˈpeti/
/ˈpeti/
- [usually before noun] (disapproving) small and unimportant synonym minor
- I don't want to hear any more about your petty squabbles.
- a petty bureaucrat/official (= who does not have much power or authority, although they might pretend to)
- petty corruption/tyranny/jealousies/feuds
Extra Examples- He made his children's lives a misery with all his petty rules.
- Some of the prison officers were petty tyrants.
- The removal of petty restrictions has made life easier.
- There are plenty of petty bureaucrats who would report you for that.
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- (disapproving) caring too much about small and unimportant matters, especially when this is unkind to other people synonym small-minded
- How could you be so petty?
- (law) (of a crime or criminal) not very serious
- petty crime/theft
- a petty criminal/thief
- When these people run out of money, they often turn to petty crime.
- These youngsters are often involved in petty crime such as shoplifting and casual theft.
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘small in size’): from a phonetic spelling of the pronunciation of French petit ‘small’.
Check pronunciation:
petty