puny
Weak and undersized
Puny means small and weak, often contemptibly so.
A puny opponent poses little threat.
A puny effort falls far short of what's needed.
The word carries dismissiveness—something puny isn't just small but inadequate: His puny salary barely covered rent.
She gave a puny wave from across the room.
Weak and ineffective
- frailWeak and breakable
- powerlessLacking strength or authority
- enfeebledMade weak or feeble
- debilitatedMade weak or infirm
impotent · sapped · enervated · wimpy · strengthless · helpless · anemic · limp
Unattractively thin and bony
- skinnyVery thin, underweight
- bonyThin, with protruding skeleton
- gauntLean from deprivation
- scraggyThin and untidy
spindly · underfed · malnourished · wasted · emaciated · skeletal · wispy · reedy
Lacking significance or weight
- negligibleToo small to consider
- paltryContemptibly meager
- triflingOf no real importance
- inconsequentialLacking significance or impact
measly · pitiful · pathetic · meager · piddling · worthless · sorry · laughable
Extremely small in size
- miniatureReduced-scale representation
- undersizedSmaller than standard
- pint-sizedVery small in size
- diminutiveVery small, or nickname form
runty · stunted · shrimpy · bantam · dwarfed · compact · wee · teeny
feeble
Weak and ineffective
debilitated · impotent · sapped · enervated · wimpy · strengthless · helpless · anemic · limp · languid
scrawny
Unattractively thin and bony
scraggy · spindly · underfed · malnourished · wasted · emaciated · skeletal · wispy · reedy · slight
trivial
Lacking significance or weight
- negligibleToo small to consider
- paltryContemptibly meager
- triflingOf no real importance
inconsequential · measly · pitiful · pathetic · meager · piddling · worthless · sorry · laughable · contemptible
tiny
Extremely small in size
- miniatureReduced-scale representation
- undersizedSmaller than standard
- pint-sizedVery small in size
diminutive · runty · stunted · shrimpy · bantam · dwarfed · compact · wee · teeny · itty-bitty
insufficient
Below required quantity
scant · sparse · skimpy · limited · wanting · short · bare · minimal · scarce · poor
punysubstantial
Of notable size or importance
formidable · impressive · considerable · significant · grand
punning, punned, punnet, puniness, punster, punsters, punier, puniest, punner