pettiness
Sweating minor slights
Pettiness is excessive concern with trivial matters, or a tendency toward small-minded, spiteful behavior.
Someone showing pettiness might hold grudges over minor slights or make mountains out of molehills: The pettiness of their complaints wore everyone down.
The word suggests a character flaw—caring too much about things that don't deserve attention.
Disposition toward retaliation
- maliceIntent to cause harm
- meannessSpiteful, unkind disposition
- nastinessSpiteful or foul quality
- cattinessSpiteful, sly nastiness
backbiting · snideness · passive-aggression · ill-will · venom · sarcasm · scheming · sabotage
Excessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- hair-splittingExcessive focus on trivialities
- fussinessExcessive concern over trivialities
- pedantryExcessive concern with minor rules
caviling · carping · fault-finding · technicalities · picayune · small-mindedness · micromanaging · obsessing
Persistent bitter displeasure
- bitternessSharp, unpleasant taste or feeling
- rancorLasting bitter resentment
- grievanceFormal claim of unfairness
- umbrageOffense taken at insult
score-settling · feuding · brooding · sulking · dwelling · unforgiving · scorekeeping · festering
Closed thinking, limited perspective
- parochialismExcessive local focus
- provincialityNarrow regional outlook
- insularityNarrow detachment from broader views
- short-sightednessInability to see distant objects clearly
closed-mindedness · intolerance · bigotry · prejudice · selfishness · self-centeredness · stinginess · miserliness
vindictiveness
Disposition toward retaliation
cattiness · backbiting · snideness · passive-aggression · ill-will · venom · sarcasm · scheming · sabotage · retaliation
nitpicking
Excessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- hair-splittingExcessive focus on trivialities
- fussinessExcessive concern over trivialities
pedantry · caviling · carping · fault-finding · technicalities · picayune · small-mindedness · micromanaging · obsessing · perfectionism
resentment
Persistent bitter displeasure
- bitternessSharp, unpleasant taste or feeling
- rancorLasting bitter resentment
- grievanceFormal claim of unfairness
umbrage · score-settling · feuding · brooding · sulking · dwelling · unforgiving · scorekeeping · festering
narrow-mindedness
Closed thinking, limited perspective
- parochialismExcessive local focus
- provincialityNarrow regional outlook
- insularityNarrow detachment from broader views
short-sightedness · closed-mindedness · intolerance · bigotry · prejudice · selfishness · self-centeredness · stinginess · miserliness · ungenerous
- narrow-mindednessnarrow-mindedness, narrowness, close-mindedness, closed-mindedness, close-minded
- moralitymoral, moral values, immoral, moral principles, moral code
- acting outtantrums, tantrum, meltdowns, pouting, whining
- bad attitudesnegativity, cynicism, pessimism, hostility, contempt
- bad bloodanimosity, hostility, enmity, resentment, grudge
- bad traitsmeanness, rudeness, cruelty, dishonesty, hostility
pettinesssignificance
Quality of mattering
importance · magnitude · consequence · substance · weight
pettinessmagnanimity
Generous, noble spirit
generosity · large-heartedness · big-heartedness · broad-mindedness · nobility