Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The character of being petty; smallness; littleness; triviality.
- noun Synonyms Smallness. etc. (see
littleness ), frivolousness, triviality, insignificance.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality or state of being petty or paltry; littleness; meanness.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The quality of being
petty . - noun A
petty behaviour, attitude, etc.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the quality of being unimportant and petty or frivolous
- noun lack of generosity in trifling matters
- noun narrowness of mind or ideas or views
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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So, as always, Betty's pettiness is to blame for all things.
The 'Mad Men' finale: Who the heck is Megan? Jen Chaney 2010
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Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for Mr. Romney, fired back today in a statement: This type of pettiness is beneath Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee’s Choice Words for Romney - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008
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And when I came to the word pettiness, and his request that we stop it, well, isn't that the bottom line to any kindof grassroots movement?
The World Breathes a Sigh of Relief as America's Light Goes Back On 2008
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Your pettiness will be the wreath you lay at the foot of your childrens graves.
Perino on McClellan 2008
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Can we please move on from this kind of pettiness?
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So it is either a kind of pettiness one would expect more from a John McCain than an actual adult, or it is John Bolton-esque contempt for diplomacy with those “godless commies,” or, probably, a combination of the two?
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But I'm not looking forward to 4 years of this kind of pettiness either.
MSNBC's Shuster Suspended After Hillary Camp Criticizes Chelsea "Pimp" Remark 2009
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I don't think that this kind of pettiness is a very good match with Obama's notion of hope, change and progress...if anything, it seems like backpedalling...
Frankenstory The Year in Pictures 2009
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And those issues are far too important to all of us to be obfuscated by the kind of pettiness we hope to never see in our leaders.
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Those who by dint of mental effort can understand a kind of pettiness which, for that matter, can be found on any and every social level, will realize the awe with which the bourgeoisie of Angouleme regarded the Hotel de Bargeton.
Two Poets 2007
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