What does petty mean?
Petty is an adjective describing concerns, actions, amounts, or qualities that are small in scale or importance. It often implies that someone is preoccupied with minor details or faults, as in a petty argument, a petty complaint, or petty criticism. In descriptions of a person, it can indicate narrow-mindedness, lack of generosity, or an unwillingness to forgive a trivial offense. The word can also describe relatively minor offenses or small amounts of money, as with petty crime or petty cash. Its tone ranges from mildly critical to openly dismissive, so it is useful when a speaker wants to emphasize that a matter is trivial or unworthy of attention. Although petty originally conveyed physical smallness, modern usage most often concerns insignificance, triviality, or a lack of generosity.
adjectivePetty describes someone who focuses on small, unimportant details or is unwilling to be generous or forgiving. It can also refer to something of minor importance or limited scale, as in a petty disagreement or petty crime.
- Focused on minor details, concerns, or distinctions; trivial or small-scale.
- Lacking generosity, magnanimity, or willingness to overlook minor faults.
- Of a crime or offense: relatively minor and typically involving a small amount of money or damage.
"Her complaint seemed petty when the damage was so minor."
"They became involved in a petty argument over who had left the office light on."
"The report focused on petty crimes rather than more serious offenses."
Petty began by suggesting something physically small, but its sharpest modern edge is criticism: the word can make a concern sound too small to deserve attention.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How petty is actually used
Petty is commonly used for disagreements, complaints, expenses, details, and crimes. It can be dismissive when used to suggest that someone’s concern is not important enough to take seriously.
Easily confused with petty
Petite describes a person who is short or small in stature, whereas petty usually describes behavior, matters, or amounts as minor, trivial, or mean.