small-minded

adjective

small-mind·​ed ˈsmȯl-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce small-minded (audio)
1
: having narrow interests, sympathies, or outlook
2
: typical of a small-minded person : marked by pettiness, narrowness, or meanness
small-minded conduct
small-mindedly adverb
small-mindedness noun

Examples of small-minded in a Sentence

a small-minded man only concerned with his own well-being resented the small-minded people who automatically opposed every new idea
Recent Examples on the Web Clearly, the two men are supposed to represent competing visions of Britishness: the one tolerant and outward-looking, drawing on the country’s rich heritage as a way to move the culture forward, the other entitled and small-minded, invested in the past only as a tool of propaganda. Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 This latest incident is yet another example of Trump’s small-minded, black-and-white thinking that denotes a simple mind unable to comprehend or consider policies that exist in the gray areas of governing. Robin Epley, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024 The customer base is more informed and to make small-minded temporary transactions based on the political climate is the wrong direction for any company. Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024 The latter consist of several cartoon-like locals with high levels of bigotry and stupidity — the kind of small-minded, provincial Frenchmen and women featured in hit Gallic comedies like Serial Bad Weddings or the Tuche series. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024 Once seen as a promising peacemaker and political reformer, Abbas has steadily devolved into an erratic and small-minded authoritarian with a virtually unbroken record of failure. Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024 Some began noticing similar relics of a bygone time when unscripted television had to stick in a way to a small-minded script. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 July 2024 The film, based on Alice Hoffman’s 1995 novel of the same name, centers on the sisters contending with their small-minded small town as well as a curse on the women of their bloodline, whose male partners are doomed to die prematurely. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024 Trump represents a slice of the American psyche — that racist, small-minded, xenophobic mentality. Garret K. Woodward, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'small-minded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of small-minded was in 1811

Dictionary Entries Near small-minded

Cite this Entry

“Small-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/small-minded. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

small-minded

adjective
small-mind·​ed
ˈsmȯl-ˈmīn-dəd
1
: having narrow interests, sympathies, or outlook
2
: typical of a small-minded person : petty
small-mindedness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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