Meaning & use

pigmy

adjective·Advanced

Unusually small in size, especially in the scientific names of certain small animal species.

See it in a sentence

The pigmy hippopotamus is much smaller and rarer than its larger, better-known relative.

A pigmy owl can fit comfortably in the palm of an adult's hand.

A note on using this word

Pigmy is a variant spelling of pygmy; applied to peoples of Central Africa, the term is now widely considered outdated or offensive.

Words with a similar meaning

dwarfminiature

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Words with an opposite meaning

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