pettifogging

adjective

Definition of pettifoggingnext
as in slight
old-fashioned worrying too much about details that are minor or not important pettifogging lawyers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pettifogging
  1. slight
  2. petty
  3. tiny
  4. minute
  5. trifling
  6. trivial
  7. little
  8. piddling
Adjective
  • Neither party secured a majority in the most recent legislative election, but the KMT, which won a slight edge in seats, has partnered with a smaller party to take control of the legislature.
    Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
  • In return for agreeing to the club’s request for a three-year extension, Acheampong was given a slight improvement on the financial terms that were proposed initially — although his salary still sits in the club’s wage structure for the older players at academy level.
    Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • My understanding has always been that the relic trade is loosely tolerated by the powers that be (many of whom have some pretty choice relics of their own), because one of the sneakiest ways authoritarian societies thrive is by letting their subjects get away with petty rebellions.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
  • As our profile lays out, the record reveals Billy Wagner as a blustery, bigger-than-life figure who engaged in petty crime and coached his family to do the same.
    Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • Cook until tiny bubbles appear around the edge of the pan and wisps of steam come off the surface of the milk.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 28 Dec. 2024
  • Much harder than, say, emptying out your folder of screenshots from 2024 to hand out a slew of incredibly specific awards to the people and themes and tiny little moments that make watching television so much fun.
    Brian Grubb, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • Despite the passage of time, the first coordinator of the state’s investigation into the Rhoden deaths can recall minute details of the crimes without notes.
    Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Under the Star Quality program, bartenders are trained to be attentive to even minute details of the serving process—for example, holding the glass at its base so that the glass and beer are kept cold—and the competition is a nod to that art.
    Don Tse, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of minute
Adjective
  • And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.
    David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
  • The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Definition of trifling
Adjective
  • When not dithering on about trivial matters, matriarch Ella (Leena Uotila) fusses over her spouse’s drinking habits.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Its legacy software business also converts earnings into bitcoin, though this is a trivial source of MicroStrategy’s current revenues.
    Edan Yago, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • In fact, for the most part, there is precious little history among opponents in each of the four games.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
  • There was a woeful miss that afternoon which was clearly the product of a forward who has had little meaningful opportunity of late and who had far too much time to think about what to do when one-on-one with Bart Verbruggen.
    Matt Woosnam, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.
    Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3 Dec. 2020
  • Millions of additional claims are expected to stream in from around the country over the coming weeks, while hiring remains piddling.
    Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2020
Definition of piddling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near pettifogging

pettifoggers

pettifogging

pettiness

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Cite this Entry

“Pettifogging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pettifogging. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

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