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
  • The latest consumer price index is expected to show a slight increase for October.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • The Slack survey found a slight increase in AI usage, up one percentage point between March and August 2024 for US respondents (32% to 33%).
    Emily Dreibelbis Forlini, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • There is a long tradition of petty smuggling in the region.
    Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Despite the emotional celebration, the Raptors’ Global Ambassador still had some petty energy to put into the air.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • But for the film, Caldwell and Honnold spent 38 days biking 2,320 miles from his home in Estes Park, Colorado, to the tiny town of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, where the roadway ends.
    Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024
  • Persistent back pain is another indicator – this, too, is the result of tiny fractures or compression of the spine.
    Jianying Zhang, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • Harris is leading by a minute percent in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania, while Trump is slightly ahead in Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Across the 20-or-so minute conversation, the Haitian-American star re-emphasized her hurt following former president Donald Trump’s claims that Haitian immigrants were eating pets in Springfield, Ohio while debating Harris on ABC News on Sept. 10.
    Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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
  • Seemingly small or trivial accuracy improvements could actually play a crucial role when applied in extreme, emergency settings.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
  • What might feel like trivial small talk is actually an invitation for connection.
    Mark Travers, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • Be warned, though: make some extra room in your suitcase for souvenirs, because this little city has a whole lot to offer.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • Last month, the White House confirmed that North Korea—a country with few allies and little money—had sent thousands of soldiers to join Russia in its war against Ukraine.
    Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 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 24 Nov. 2024.

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