| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024pet•ty /ˈpɛti/USA pronunciation adj., -ti•er, -ti•est. - of little or no importance;
inconsequential:petty grievances and objections. - of lesser importance;
minor:petty officials. - having or showing narrow ideas, etc.;
ungenerous:their little, petty minds. - showing meanness of spirit:petty revenge.
pet•ti•ness, n. [uncountable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024pet•ty (pet′ē),USA pronunciation adj., -ti•er, -ti•est. - of little or no importance or consequence:petty grievances.
- of lesser or secondary importance, merit, etc.;
minor:petty considerations. - having or showing narrow ideas, interests, etc.:petty minds.
- mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things:a petty person.
- showing or caused by meanness of spirit:a petty revenge.
- of secondary rank, esp. in relation to others of the same class or kind:petty states; a petty tyrant.
- Gallo-Romance *pittīttus, of expressive origin, originally
- Old French petit
- Middle English peti(t) small, minor 1325–75
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged nugatory, negligible, inconsiderable, slight. Petty, paltry, trifling, trivial apply to something that is so insignificant as to be almost unworthy of notice. Petty implies contemptible insignificance and littleness, inferiority and small worth:petty quarrels.Paltry is applied to something that is beneath one's notice, even despicable:a paltry amount.Something that is trifling is so unimportant and inconsiderable as to be practically negligible:a trifling error.Something that is trivial is slight, insignificant, and even in incongruous contrast to something that is significant or important:a trivial remark; a trivial task.
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged small.
- 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged stingy, miserly.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged important.
- 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged generous.
Pet•ty (pet′ē),USA pronunciation n. - Biographical Richard, born 1937, U.S. racing-car driver.
- Biographical William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne. See Lansdowne, 1st Marquis of.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: petty /ˈpɛtɪ/ adj ( -tier, -tiest)- trivial; trifling; inessential: petty details
- of a narrow-minded, mean, or small-natured disposition or character: petty spite
- minor or subordinate in rank: petty officialdom
- of lesser importance
Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French petitˈpettily adv ˈpettiness n |