adj. 1
Having little or no importance.
a petty fault petty squabbles
adj. 2
Of persons or their behaviour: marked by or reflective of undesirably limited interests, sympathies, or views; begrudging, selfish, small-minded; also, preoccupied with subjects having little or no importance and not mindful of broader concerns.
Such literature may well be anathema to those who are too docile and petty for their own good.
adj. 3
Little or small in size.
adj. 4
Inclined to cause frustration or annoyance to others out of spite over minor grievances; extremely vindictive.
My cousin is so petty—I forgot his birthday and he's been making snarky comments all week.

Related words

Word family: petticoat pettifogger pettifoggery pettiness pettychaps petty-house
Phrases: petty cash petty larceny petty bourgeoisie petty crime petty jury petty patent petty theft petty treason

Example sentences

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

3 letters: low¹, wee¹
4 letters: mean¹, vain¹, puny²
5 letters: small¹, minor², lowly², wurly
6 letters: little², narrow², slight¹, meager², paltry², meagre
7 letters: trivial³
8 letters: inferior⁴, wretched², trifling², picayune³, grudging², niggling, piddling³
9 letters: secondary⁴, miserable⁴, frivolous³, subaltern, grudgeful
11 letters: subordinate⁴, unimportant⁴
12 letters: contemptible⁴
13 letters: insignificant⁵
14 letters: inconsiderable
15 letters: inconsequential⁵

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (puny² = 2 syllables).