small-minded

American  

[smawl-mahyn-did] / ˈsmɔlˈmaɪn dɪd /

adjective

1. selfish, petty, or narrow-minded.

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small-minded British  

adjective

1. narrow-minded; petty; intolerant; mean

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Other Word Forms

• small-mindedly adverb
• small-mindedness noun

Etymology

Origin of small-minded

First recorded in 1840–50

Explanation

Someone who's small-minded has a narrow perspective or very firm, unchangeable opinions on things. It's almost impossible to get a small-minded voter to change his or her mind. If you're small-minded, you have a biased view of the world, and you're probably not very tolerant of those with different opinions or experiences. It's as if small-minded people can't step outside their own perspective to empathize with others. A small-minded governor might want to keep all immigrants out of his state, and someone with a small-minded focus on money won't understand your dream of being a poet.

Example Sentences

Determined to give her niece a stable upbringing, Aunt Irene unhappily but dutifully left a comfortable life in Ohio to return to her small-minded hometown in the Deep South.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

“I’m sure there are small-minded people in Manhattan, but our show just wasn’t focused on that part,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2025

But it’s not just the small — and small-minded, and small-hearted — wealthy libertarian or right-wing elite.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2025

It’s a small-minded and petty ploy, but it’s a dangerous one.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2025

I counted on her small-minded interference in the day-to-day running of the school to keep attention diverted elsewhere, while I searched for the information I needed.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood