as in negligibility
the quality or state of being unimportant
the astonishing pettiness of most of the things that she fusses over
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Recent Examples of pettiness
That gets ratcheted up even higher when the playoffs roll around, which is why this latest example of fan pettiness should come as no surprise.
—
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Trump has always reminded me of King Henry VIII, with the narcissism, the disposable wives, the second-son syndrome and the pettiness.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Cole framed his opening monologue like a prayer, with jokes about Teyana Taylor’s relationship status, 50 Cent’s pettiness and Nicki Minaj’s politics.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
Lilian liked Anna, who was on the school board, knew what was going on, and gossiped matter-of-factly with neither pettiness nor zeal.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Sustainable, charitable, and delightfully petty, this gift proves Valentine’s Day can support bugs, love, pettiness and conservation all at once.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Here’s a good summation of the pettiness.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Florida has had enough of pettiness, politic stunts and petulance.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
The big swings through pettiness are their own form of vulnerability.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2026
Trump has always reminded me of King Henry VIII, with the narcissism, the disposable wives, the second-son syndrome and the pettiness.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Cole framed his opening monologue like a prayer, with jokes about Teyana Taylor’s relationship status, 50 Cent’s pettiness and Nicki Minaj’s politics.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 1 Mar. 2026
Lilian liked Anna, who was on the school board, knew what was going on, and gossiped matter-of-factly with neither pettiness nor zeal.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Sustainable, charitable, and delightfully petty, this gift proves Valentine’s Day can support bugs, love, pettiness and conservation all at once.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Here’s a good summation of the pettiness.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Florida has had enough of pettiness, politic stunts and petulance.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
The big swings through pettiness are their own form of vulnerability.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettiness
Noun
-
The designer said she was inspired by the smallness of the human compared to the universe’s vastness.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Her big band from the Land tour is present on this album to draw a loud counterpoint to the protagonist’s quest for smallness and silence.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Problems shrink into insignificance.—
Shilo Urban,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Nov. 2025
-
Her difficulty lay in her distance from the random violence of insignificance.—
Rachel Cusk,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
All the more reason for those under this sign to embrace the softness and triviality of floral prints right before spring arrives.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Any piece of art begins in triviality.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pettiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettiness. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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