picayunish
Obsessed with trifles
Picayunish means petty, trivial, or overly concerned with small matters.
The word carries a dismissive tone—someone picayunish fusses over details that don't warrant attention: Don't be so picayunish about the formatting.
It derives from picayune, a coin of small value, and shares that word's sense of insignificance.
Of no real importance
- negligibleToo small to consider
- inconsequentialLacking significance or impact
- minorScale with lowered third
- unimportantLacking significance or weight
insignificant · immaterial · paltry · petty · slight · marginal · insubstantial · nonessential
Excessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- cavilingPetty fault-finding
- hair-splittingExcessive focus on trivialities
- carpingTrivial persistent criticism
captious · hypercritical · overcritical · fault-finding · nit-picky · pedantic · persnickety · finicky
Lacking breadth of thought
- mean-spiritedUnkind in a petty way
- begrudgingReluctantly allowing or giving
- grudgingReluctant, resentful in giving
- resentfulFeeling lingering ill will
spiteful · vindictive · stingy · miserly · ungenerous · cheap · tight-fisted · parsimonious
trifling
Of no real importance
- negligibleToo small to consider
- inconsequentialLacking significance or impact
- minorScale with lowered third
unimportant · insignificant · immaterial · paltry · petty · slight · marginal · insubstantial · nonessential · meager
nitpicking
Excessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- cavilingPetty fault-finding
- hair-splittingExcessive focus on trivialities
carping · captious · hypercritical · overcritical · fault-finding · nit-picky · pedantic · persnickety · finicky · fastidious
small-minded
Lacking breadth of thought
- mean-spiritedUnkind in a petty way
- begrudgingReluctantly allowing or giving
- grudgingReluctant, resentful in giving
resentful · spiteful · vindictive · stingy · miserly · ungenerous · cheap · tight-fisted · parsimonious · penurious
picayunishsignificant
Having notable importance
substantial · important · consequential · momentous · weighty
picayunishmagnanimous
Noble and forgiving
broad-minded · generous · liberal · tolerant · open-minded