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Petty vs. Spiteful

Petty and Spiteful Definitions

Petty

Of small importance; trivial
A petty grievance.

Spiteful

Filled with, prompted by, or showing spite; malicious.

Petty

Showing an excessive concern with unimportant matters or minor details, especially in a narrow-minded way
Petty partisanship.

Spiteful

Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to annoy or harm.

Petty

Of lesser importance or rank; subordinate
A petty prince.

Spiteful

Filled with, or showing, spite; having a desire to vex, annoy, or injure; malignant; malicious; as, a spiteful person or act.
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Petty

(Law) Variant of petit.

Spiteful

Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite;
A despiteful fiend
A truly spiteful child
A vindictive man will look for occasions for resentment

Petty

Having little or no importance.
A petty fault
Petty squabbles

Petty

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.
That corporation is only slightly pettier than they are greedy, and they are overdue to reap the consequences.

Petty

(historical) Of or relating to the lowest grade or level of school; junior, primary.

Petty

Little or small in size.
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Petty

Secondary in importance or rank; minor, subordinate.
Petty cash
Petty officer

Petty

An outbuilding used as a lavatory; an outhouse, a privy.

Petty

(historical) A class or school for young schoolboys.

Petty

A little schoolboy, either in grade or size.

Petty

Little; trifling; inconsiderable; also, inferior; subordinate; as, a petty fault; a petty prince.
Like a petty godI walked about, admired of all.

Petty

Inferior in rank or status;
The junior faculty
A lowly corporal
Petty officialdom
A subordinate functionary
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Petty

(informal terms) small and of little importance;
A fiddling sum of money
A footling gesture
Our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
A little (or small) matter
Mickey Mouse regulations
A dispute over niggling details
Limited to petty enterprises
Piffling efforts
Giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction

Petty

Contemptibly narrow in outlook;
Petty little comments
Disgusted with their small-minded pettiness

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