Meaning & use
pettiness
The quality of being overly concerned with small, unimportant matters, often in a mean-spirited way.
See it in a sentence
His pettiness showed when he refused to share credit for the smallest part of the project.
She was embarrassed by her own pettiness after arguing over who paid a dollar more.
A note on using this word
Pettiness usually implies a small-minded, spiteful attitude rather than simple attention to detail.
Words with a similar meaning
meannessspitefulness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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