Pettiness

Pettiness refers to a focus on trivial, insignificant details or behaviors, often involving a lack of generosity, a tendency towards being small-minded, and an excessive concern with minor grievances or perceived slights. It's characterized by an inability to see the bigger picture, an unwillingness to forgive or overlook minor flaws, and an emphasis on enforcing rules or social norms in a nitpicking and often self-serving manner. Individuals exhibiting pettiness often dwell on minor inconveniences and may engage in spiteful actions or gossip.

Pettiness meaning with examples

• The office environment was stifled by pettiness. Minor disagreements about coffee mugs escalated into week-long silent treatments and passive-aggressive emails. Instead of focusing on completing the project, team members wasted time scrutinizing each other's work, looking for any opportunity to find fault and undermine their colleagues' progress.
• Her pettiness was evident in the way she constantly complained about her neighbor's tree slightly obscuring her view. Despite the overall beauty of the landscape, she was fixated on the minuscule obstruction, filing repeated complaints with the homeowners' association and poisoning the community's atmosphere.
• The candidate's pettiness was exposed during the debate when they relentlessly attacked their opponent's grammar, disregarding the substance of their arguments. The focus shifted from important policy discussions to the nitpicking of minor linguistic errors, leaving a negative impression on voters.
• Driven by pettiness, the sibling rivalry resulted in petty squabbles over insignificant things. The smallest misdeed led to retribution, leaving the household full of passive aggressive behavior, and ignoring important family matters and issues.