petty

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

petty [petty pettier pettiest] BrE [ˈpeti] NAmE [ˈpeti] adjective (usually disapproving)
1. usually before noun small and unimportant
Syn: ↑minor
•petty squabbles
•petty crime/theft (= that is not very serious)
•a petty criminal/thief
•a petty bureaucrat/official (= who does not have much power or authority, although they might pretend to)
2. caring too much about small and unimportant matters, especially when this is unkind to other people
Syn: ↑small-minded
•How could you be so petty?
Derived Word: ↑pettiness

Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘small in size’): from a phonetic spelling of the pronunciation of French petit ‘small’.

Example Bank:
•He made his children's lives a misery with all his petty rules.
•I don't want to hear any more about your petty squabbles.
•Some of the prison officers were petty tyrants.
•The removal of petty restrictions has made life easier.
•There are plenty of petty bureaucrats who would report you for that.
•When these people run out of money, they often turn to petty crime.
•a petty criminal/thief/tyrant
•petty crime/theft/corruption/tyranny
•petty squabbles/jealousies/feuds

• Từ đồng nghĩa / Synonyms:
  small-minded, junior-grade, lower-ranking, lowly, petty(a), secondary, subaltern, petit larceny, petty larceny
• Từ trái nghĩa / Antonyms:
  grand larceny, grand theft