puny

[ pyoo-nee ]

adjective

, pu·ni·er, pu·ni·est.

1. of less than normal size and strength; weak.
2. unimportant; insignificant; petty or minor:

   a puny excuse.

3. Obsolete. puisne.

puny

/ ˈpjuːnɪ /

adjective

1. having a small physique or weakly constitution
2. paltry; insignificant

Derived Forms

• ˈpunily, adverb
• ˈpuniness, noun

Other Words From

• puni·ly adverb
• puni·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of puny¹

First recorded in 1540–50; spelling variant of puisne

Word History and Origins

Origin of puny¹

C16: from Old French puisne puisne

Example Sentences

Los Angeles had recently passed Chicago to become America’s second city, but it still felt far behind with its puny skyline, suburban sprawl and relative lack of cultural sophistication.

From Los Angeles Times

With only 87 days until the election at the time of the rally, both the excitement and the crowd size associated with the Harris-Walz campaign has put a hitch in Donald Trump and JD Vance's giddyup, with Trump bemoaning his relatively puny turnout at recent events of his own.

From Salon

The park is a puny nine square miles and offered P-22 no mating opportunities.

From Los Angeles Times

“Demolishing the puny vocalizations of ‘folk’ trios like the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Whatsit, Koerner and company showed how it should be done,” David Bowie wrote in a 2003 article in Vanity Fair in which he included “Blues, Rags & Hollers” on a list of his 25 favorite albums.

From New York Times

The winds of a Category 5 hurricane on our puny little planet can exceed 150 miles per hour.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• feeble
• frail
• inconsequential
• measly
• paltry
• tiny
• trivial