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Definition of puniness

puniness

/ˈpjuːninəs/
pu · ni · ness
Adverb:punily
•
Adjective:puny
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puniness Lexical Profile

puniness Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The state or quality of being small, weak, or poorly developed in size or physical strength.

Example

"Despite the apparent puniness of the young saplings, they eventually grew into a dense, resilient windbreak."

2

The quality of being trivial, meager, or insignificant in scale, value, or importance.

Example

"Critics pointed out the puniness of the proposed budget compared to the massive scale of the infrastructure crisis."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for puniness

• Nearby Words

pungently
punica
punily
puniness
punish
punishable
punisher

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed in English from the adjective 'puny' plus the suffix '-ness'. The root 'puny' derives from the 16th-century French 'puisné', meaning 'born later' or 'junior' (from 'puis' meaning 'afterward' and 'né' meaning 'born'), originally used in law for a younger sibling or junior judge before shifting to mean small and weak.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Puniness. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/puniness
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