1
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
a small-minded man only concerned with his own well-being
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
resented the small-minded people who automatically opposed every new idea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of small-minded
The way that Pliny saw it, astrology was small-minded fatalism, in which people glommed onto meaningless symbols for a sense of identity.
—
Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Their small-minded nature is justified through closeness, but really, everyone seems miserable, with their connections to Judaism existing in social standing only.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024
Clearly, the two men are supposed to represent competing visions of Britishness: the one tolerant and outward-looking, drawing on the country’s rich heritage as a way to move the culture forward, the other entitled and small-minded, invested in the past only as a tool of propaganda.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
This latest incident is yet another example of Trump’s small-minded, black-and-white thinking that denotes a simple mind unable to comprehend or consider policies that exist in the gray areas of governing.
—Robin Epley, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
The customer base is more informed and to make small-minded temporary transactions based on the political climate is the wrong direction for any company.
—Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
The latter consist of several cartoon-like locals with high levels of bigotry and stupidity — the kind of small-minded, provincial Frenchmen and women featured in hit Gallic comedies like Serial Bad Weddings or the Tuche series.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024
Once seen as a promising peacemaker and political reformer, Abbas has steadily devolved into an erratic and small-minded authoritarian with a virtually unbroken record of failure.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
Some began noticing similar relics of a bygone time when unscripted television had to stick in a way to a small-minded script.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 July 2024
Maya Layne, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
Their small-minded nature is justified through closeness, but really, everyone seems miserable, with their connections to Judaism existing in social standing only.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024
Clearly, the two men are supposed to represent competing visions of Britishness: the one tolerant and outward-looking, drawing on the country’s rich heritage as a way to move the culture forward, the other entitled and small-minded, invested in the past only as a tool of propaganda.
—Giles Harvey, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
This latest incident is yet another example of Trump’s small-minded, black-and-white thinking that denotes a simple mind unable to comprehend or consider policies that exist in the gray areas of governing.
—Robin Epley, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024
The customer base is more informed and to make small-minded temporary transactions based on the political climate is the wrong direction for any company.
—Rhett Buttle, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
The latter consist of several cartoon-like locals with high levels of bigotry and stupidity — the kind of small-minded, provincial Frenchmen and women featured in hit Gallic comedies like Serial Bad Weddings or the Tuche series.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024
Once seen as a promising peacemaker and political reformer, Abbas has steadily devolved into an erratic and small-minded authoritarian with a virtually unbroken record of failure.
—Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024
Some began noticing similar relics of a bygone time when unscripted television had to stick in a way to a small-minded script.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-minded
Adjective
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Thirty narrow stairs lead to City Ballet’s bright, top floor rehearsal studio, with double ballet barres lining three walls, a floor-to-ceiling mirror, and an open ceiling with a treacherously low center beam that high jumping dancers have learned to avoid.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
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Others may include family offices that offer a narrower range of services.—
Francois Botha,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And yet conceding those messy parochial disputes to powers outside the university seems to some to represent no less of a crisis.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Nation-states and their parochial identities would give way to an interdependent and cosmopolitan future.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The head of the religious school was among those killed, said provincial government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif.—
Reuters,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The necklace may have been worn by someone in the Lusatian culture, or during the early days of the West Baltic Kurgan culture, according to the provincial office.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In North Carolina, a brush fire in the mountains was threatening Tryon and Saluda, small communities in the Blue Ridge Mountains about 40 miles south of Asheville.—
Amy Graff,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2025
-
The foyer is often a small space, so a hall tree can be overbearing.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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How long will this continue before reciting bigoted chants and bearing weapons becomes blocking Jews from buildings and harming Israeli students?—
Ellia M Torkian,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Mar. 2025
-
The slogan put the audience in the shoes of a casually bigoted, insubordinate alcoholic who bends the NYPD’s rules in pursuit of drug runners.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But being able to distinguish when things are challenging versus straight-up unhealthy can keep you from spiraling into petty drama and sneaky backstabbing.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
3 Mar. 2025
-
On the page, Serafina is an archetypical Williams heroine — a woman who feels the world too deeply and is therefore brutalized by its harsh truths and petty cruelties (e.g. Maggie the Cat, Blanche DuBois, Amanda Wingfield).—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Gazing out onto Prince William Sound with its stunning scenery had this narrow-minded city-and-car guy bitten by the cruise bug.—
David Dickstein,
Orange County Register,
5 Feb. 2025
-
The Grammys have always prized a narrow-minded, classic sense of musicianship: deft songwriting, big vocals, live instrumentation.—
Justin Curto,
Vulture,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The insular community’s yeshivas, which rely heavily on taxpayer dollars, teach religious lessons in Yiddish and Hebrew for most of the school day, and offer little instruction in English or math.—
Eliza Shapiro,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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So is White taking a superficial approach to Thailand, its traditions and its tragedies, or are his insular characters?—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
11 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to small-minded
Cite this Entry
“Small-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-minded. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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