puny
adjective
pu·ny ˈpyü-nē 
punier; puniest
: slight or inferior in power, size, or importance : weak
punily
ˈpyü-nə-lē
adverb puniness
ˈpyü-nē-nəs
noun 
Synonyms
- bantam
- diminutive
- dinky
- dwarfish
- fine
- half-pint
- Lilliputian
- little
- pint-size
- pint-sized
- pocket-size
- pocket-sized
- pygmy
- shrimpy
- slight
- small
- smallish
- subnormal
- toylike
- undersized
- undersize
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
I wouldn't mess with him—he makes bodybuilders look puny in comparison. We laughed at their puny attempt to trick us.
Recent Examples on the Web Its puny operating profit is overwhelmed by the interest payments on the gigantic, $2.4 billion in debt amassed to buy Bitcoin. 
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Former president Donald Trump’s Truth Social website is facing financial challenges as its traffic remains puny and the company that is scheduled to acquire it expresses fear that his legal troubles could lead to a decline in his popularity. Drew Harwell, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 Former president Donald Trump’s Truth Social website is facing financial challenges as its traffic remains puny and the company that is scheduled to acquire it expresses fear that his legal troubles could lead to a decline in his popularity. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 Even irrigated fields are mustering mostly puny plants, said Kody Bessent, chief executive of Plains Cotton Growers, a producer group whose members typically grow about a third of the U.S. crop. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 Some are downright puny, like Mr. Rahma’s Seiko or the 23mm Cartier Crash favored by stylish rapper Tyler, the Creator. Marshall Heyman, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 The Mark Levinson Audio package with navigation ($2725) upgrades the display from a rather puny 7.0 inches to a modern-size 10.3-inch unit. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 3 Mar. 2022 When a stock has a low price/sales ratio, often the profits are puny compared to sales. John Dorfman, Forbes, 18 July 2022 Ancient electric stoves with inconsistent or puny burners. Gabe Hiatt, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 See More
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Former president Donald Trump’s Truth Social website is facing financial challenges as its traffic remains puny and the company that is scheduled to acquire it expresses fear that his legal troubles could lead to a decline in his popularity. Drew Harwell, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 Former president Donald Trump’s Truth Social website is facing financial challenges as its traffic remains puny and the company that is scheduled to acquire it expresses fear that his legal troubles could lead to a decline in his popularity. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2022 Even irrigated fields are mustering mostly puny plants, said Kody Bessent, chief executive of Plains Cotton Growers, a producer group whose members typically grow about a third of the U.S. crop. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 16 Aug. 2022 Some are downright puny, like Mr. Rahma’s Seiko or the 23mm Cartier Crash favored by stylish rapper Tyler, the Creator. Marshall Heyman, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 The Mark Levinson Audio package with navigation ($2725) upgrades the display from a rather puny 7.0 inches to a modern-size 10.3-inch unit. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 3 Mar. 2022 When a stock has a low price/sales ratio, often the profits are puny compared to sales. John Dorfman, Forbes, 18 July 2022 Ancient electric stoves with inconsistent or puny burners. Gabe Hiatt, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Anglo-French puisné younger, weakly, literally, born afterward, from puis afterward + né born
First Known Use
circa 1577, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
puny
adjective
pu·ny ˈpyü-nē
punier; puniest
1
: small and weak in size or power
2
: not very impressive or effective
My boss gave me a puny raise.
puny
adjective
as in small
of a size that is less than average a puny, wrinkled apple Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- small
- diminutive
- little
- tiny
- pocket
- dinky
- fine
- smallish
- miniature
- dwarf
- undersized
- dwarfish
- slight
- sparse
- slender
- subnormal
- miniaturized
- poor
- bantam
- pygmy
- shrimpy
- toylike
- stunted
- minuscule
- pint-sized
- mini
- spare
- Lilliputian
- lacking
- pocket-sized
- undersize
- meager
- pocket-size
- microscopic
- pint-size
- half-pint
- inadequate
- insufficient
- weeny
- bitty
- teeny
- infinitesimal
- runty
- micro
- teensy
- wee
- inappreciable
- toy
- skimpy
- scarce
- scrubby
- stingy
- meagre
- slim
- scanty
- scant
- microscopical
- little bitty
- weensy
- minikin
- deficient
- minim
- teeny-weeny
- teensy-weensy
- minute
- niggardly
- skimp
- pinpoint
- runtish
- wanting
- capsule
- bite-sized
- bite-size
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- large
- big
- outsized
- considerable
- sizeable
- substantial
- oversized
- great
- sizable
- massive
- enormous
- gigantic
- handsome
- huge
- largish
- gargantuan
- bulky
- goodly
- giant
- whopping
- vast
- outsize
- grand
- oversize
- monstrous
- colossal
- prodigious
- hefty
- stupendous
- humongous
- immense
- voluminous
- tremendous
- mammoth
- gross
- husky
- mountainous
- herculean
- heroic
- tidy
- elephantine
- staggering
- titanic
- biggish
- monolithic
- galactic
- generous
- cavernous
- monumental
- jumbo
- abundant
- heroical
- appreciable
- ample
- bountiful
- copious
- humungous
- cyclopean
- plentiful
- hulking
- healthy
- liberal
- overscaled
- whacking
- wide
- plenteous
- thick
- broad
- overscale
- fat
- king-sized
- pharaonic
- boxcar
- adequate
- leviathan
- infinite
- cosmic
- king-size
- sufficient
- immeasurable
- Brobdingnagian
- incalculable
- boundless
- enough
- Bunyanesque
- cosmical
- Himalayan