petty

adj.

1. 小的；琐碎的；次要的
   small and unimportant
   1. petty squabbles
      小口角
   2. petty crime/theft (= that is not very serious)
      轻微罪行 / 偷窃
   3. a petty criminal/thief
      轻罪犯；小窃贼
   4. a petty bureaucrat/official (= who does not have much power or authority, although they might pretend to)
      小官僚；小官员
2. 小气的；狭隘的
   caring too much about small and unimportant matters, especially when this is unkind to other people
   1. How could you be so petty?
      你怎么那么小气呢？

1. ADJ-GRADED 微不足道的；不重要的
   You can use petty to describe things such as problems, rules, or arguments which you think are unimportant or relate to unimportant things.
   1. He was miserable all the time and rows would start over petty things.
      他总是愁眉苦脸的，常因小事发怒。
   2. ...endless rules and petty regulations...
      没完没了的规则和繁复琐碎的规定
   3. The meeting degenerated into petty squabbling.
      会议变成了无聊的扯皮。
2. ADJ-GRADED 小题大做的；过于关注琐事的
   If you describe someone's behaviour as petty, you mean that they care too much about small, unimportant things and perhaps that they are unnecessarily unkind.
   1. He was petty-minded and obsessed with detail...
      他小肚鸡肠，满脑子都是鸡毛蒜皮的事儿。
   2. I think that attitude is a bit petty.
      我觉得那种态度有点小题大做。
3. ADJ 下级的；次要的；小规模的
   Petty is used of people or actions that are less important, serious, or great than others.
   1. Wilson was not a man who dealt with petty officials.
      威尔逊不是个与小官小吏打交道的人。
   2. ...petty crime, such as handbag-snatching and minor break-ins.
      抢手提包和入室盗窃等轻罪

1. Big business will never let petty nationalism get in the way of a good deal.
   大企业永远不会让狭隘的民族主义妨碍它们做大好的买卖。
2. At 17, he had a criminal record for petty theft
   他17岁就有了小偷小摸的犯罪前科。
3. Donaldson was a petty crook with a string of previous offences.
   唐纳森有一系列小的犯罪前科，但没犯过大事。
4. Petty crime is having a deleterious effect on community life.
   轻微罪行正对社区生活产生有害影响。
5. He was miserable all the time and rows would start over petty things.
   他总是愁眉苦脸的，常因小事发怒。
6. The meeting degenerated into petty squabbling.
   会议变成了无聊的扯皮。
7. I think that attitude is a bit petty.
   我觉得那种态度有点小题大做。
8. Wilson was not a man who dealt with petty officials.
   威尔逊不是个与小官小吏打交道的人。
9. Petty officers are the backbone of a navy.
   军士是海军的骨干。
10. Kenworthy had run him in on a petty charge.
    肯沃西以一项微不足道的指控为由将他拘捕了。
11. A team of officers is trawling through the records of thousands of petty thieves
    一组警员正在翻查数以千计的小偷小摸者的犯罪记录。
12. Their delegation threw a giant monkey wrench into the process this week by raising all sorts of petty objections.
    他们的代表团本周提出了各种细枝末节的反对意见，极在地阻挠了进程。
13. The petty clerk was afraid of offending his boss.
    这个小职员不敢得罪他的老板。
14. A gentleman is open and poised; a petty man is unhappy and worried.
    君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚。
15. The party split into petty factions.
    该党分裂成若干小派系。
16. He got the sack for petty thieving.
    他因小偷小摸而被开除了。
17. Keep some money on you for petty expenses.
    身上要留点儿钱零用。
18. People who seek after petty gains seldom think far.
    贪小的人很难有长远的眼光。
19. Though a petty official, he assumes great airs.
    他这个人官儿不大，架子倒搭得很足。
20. He was also petty, unreasonably querulous, and mean.
    他还是个气量狭窄，无事生非，平庸刻薄的人。
21. It was a petty problem and they soon solved it.
    这仅是一个小问题，他们很快就解决了。
22. Am I being petty?
    难道是我变小气了吗？
23. You know, this may sound petty to you.
    你知道，这听起来对你是不重要的。
24. You this pure petty bourgeoisie ah, I put coffee to you to open.
    你这纯粹的小资啊，我把咖啡给你打开。
25. Sales and purchases, wages and salaries, petty cash and expenses and so on.
    售出和购入、工钱和薪金、小额备用金和开支等。
26. While he despises incompetence and petty bickering he demands complete and utter loyalty.
    他鄙视无能和琐碎的争吵，要求完全和绝对的忠诚。
27. He's petty sneak thief.
    他是个吝啬的小偷。
28. It be petty of him not to accept the apology.
    他不接受道歉，气量太小了。
29. Should I confront him, or would that look petty?
    我该不该和他对质？那样会不会显得小家子气？
30. The petty bourgeoisie in agriculture and handicrafts and the bourgeoisie in industry and commerce have both experienced changes.
    农业和手工业方面的小资产阶级和工商业资产阶级，都发生了变化。

  petty minor small trivial【导航词义：小的，不重要的】

  petty adj. 小的，不重要的

〔辨析〕指问题、细节等琐碎的。

  minor adj. 小的，不很重要的

〔辨析〕尤指比起其他事物来较小或不是很重要、很严重的。

  small adj. 小的，不重要的

〔辨析〕指尺寸或数量小的，也指工作、问题、错误等不重要的或影响不大的。

  trivial adj. 微不足道的

〔辨析〕指不重要、不严重或没有什么价值的。

noun

1. larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale)

   Synonym:    petit larcenypetty larceny

adj

1. contemptibly narrow in outlook
   1. petty little comments
   2. disgusted with their small-minded pettiness

   Synonym:    small-minded

2. (informal) small and of little importance
   1. a fiddling sum of money
   2. a footling gesture
   3. our worries are lilliputian compared with those of countries that are at war
   4. a little (or small) matter
   5. a dispute over niggling details
   6. limited to petty enterprises
   7. piffling efforts
   8. giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction

   Synonym:    fiddlingfootlinglilliputianlittlenigglingpiddlingpifflingpicayunetrivial