PUNY Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

puny

adjective

ˈpyü-nē

Definition of puny

as in small

of a size that is less than average a puny, wrinkled apple

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of puny But the processes that govern gene regulation are proving so complex that some biologists wonder whether a full understanding of it — of how the genome really works — will ever be within the grasp of our puny minds. — Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 18 June 2026 Familiarity has reduced the plane into a puny can. — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026 In an earlier era, this panorama might have communicated the puny anonymity of corporate life. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 The turbine maxed out at 25 kilowatts—puny compared to modern machines that generate up to 26 megawatts, but more than most energy experts expected from wind technology in November 1976. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for puny

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puny

Adjective

Comparing households aged 72 and older in 2022 with those aged 75 and older in 2025, Maggiulli calculated a smaller—but still substantial—21% increase.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The development could help make optical atomic clocks smaller and more suitable for use outside laboratories.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

The evening, co-hosted by Vanity Fair, marked a continuation in the film’s already lengthy journey, with a suitably ambitious exhibition pulling back the curtain on costumes, puppets, props and diminutive sets.

— Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026
The Lucre mules are crafted in butter-soft kid suede in a dark midnight shade and have the most diminutive toe strap holding the shoe in place.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminutive

Adjective

Depending on the machine and settings, that material ends up in a purge tower built alongside the print, or in a collection of little plastic doll's-house-looking spaghetti balls, affectionately known as printer poop.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
That gives One Roof a significant advantage over competing Seattle bidders and little incentive to offer anything close to $10 billion.

— Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of little

Adjective

Commonly associated with environmental risk factors such as smoking or exposure to hazards like radon, the rare but aggressively fast-growing condition gets its name from the unusually tiny appearance of its cells.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
These tiny architects of the deep sea actively regulate microbial populations.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tiny

Browse Nearby Words

punts

puny

pup

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“Puny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puny. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of puny

adjective

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