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petty

adjective
🔊/ˈpeti/
🔊/ˈpeti/
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  1. [usually before noun] (disapproving) small and unimportant小的；琐碎的；次要的 synonym minor
    • I don't want to hear any more about your petty squabbles.我再也不想听到你们那些小口角了。
    • a petty bureaucrat/official (= who does not have much power or authority, although they might pretend to)小官僚；小官员
    • petty corruption/tyranny/jealousies/feuds轻微腐败/暴政/嫉妒/仇恨
    Extra Examples
    • He made his children's lives a misery with all his petty rules.他的琐碎规定把孩子们的生活弄得苦不堪言。
    • Some of the prison officers were petty tyrants.有些狱警是小暴君。
    • The removal of petty restrictions has made life easier.解除了各种琐碎的限制后，日子变得轻松了一些。
    • There are plenty of petty bureaucrats who would report you for that.有很多小官僚会为那件事告发你。
  2. (disapproving) caring too much about small and unimportant matters, especially when this is unkind to other people小气的；狭隘的 synonym small-minded
    • How could you be so petty?你怎么那么小气呢？🔊🔊
    Topics Personal qualitiesc2
  3. (law法律) (of a crime or criminal) not very serious
    • petty crime/theft 轻微罪行；小偷小摸
    • a petty criminal/thief轻罪犯；小窃贼
    • When these people run out of money, they often turn to petty crime.当这些人的钱用光了时，他们常常转向小额犯罪。
    • These youngsters are often involved in petty crime such as shoplifting and casual theft.这些年轻人经常犯下商店行窃和顺手牵羊等较轻微的罪行。
    compare grand theft
    4. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘small in size’): from a phonetic spelling of the pronunciation of French petit ‘small’.