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
All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there’s a hell for you.
—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
25 May 2026
All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you.
—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Stedman offers a heartfelt homage to the virtues of rural community and the natural beauty unique to Western Australia, as well as a critique of the strictures and dangers inherent in small-minded communities.
—
The Know,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
These are not small-minded accomplishments.
—
Michael Stepner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
The momentum behind these ventures — the idea, unpalatable to many of us small-minded, provincial types, of taking domestic league matches abroad — remains strong.
—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
But small-minded individuals, who happened to be blocking our path at any point in time, my goal was to get around them.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
25 May 2026
All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you.
—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Stedman offers a heartfelt homage to the virtues of rural community and the natural beauty unique to Western Australia, as well as a critique of the strictures and dangers inherent in small-minded communities.
—
The Know,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
In Mohit’s telling, Laxman seems merely grubby and small-minded.
—
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
These are not small-minded accomplishments.
—
Michael Stepner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
The momentum behind these ventures — the idea, unpalatable to many of us small-minded, provincial types, of taking domestic league matches abroad — remains strong.
—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
But small-minded individuals, who happened to be blocking our path at any point in time, my goal was to get around them.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small-minded
Adjective
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Many of Haaland’s bags are actually Haut à Courroies (HAC), the model that the Birkin is based off, but with a slightly taller and narrower profile.
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But with 10,000 baby boomers reportedly retiring every day and millions of businesses approaching a transition point, the window to get it right is narrow.
Adjective
-
They are hired hands and stewards of other people’s capital, with no desire to becoming embroiled in internecine squabbles between clashing advocates, parochial activists, and plain opportunists latching on to the moment.
-
In the most parochial place that ever was or ever will be, authenticity functions as a means of psychic gatekeeping, and someone who doesn’t speak the lingua Francona isn’t someone who’s worth listening to when the game’s on.
Adjective
-
Online databases, provincial vital records offices, and archives help reconstruct the family chain.
-
The court convicted the two defendants after a trial that was initially held in Gwadar and later moved to a high-security prison in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, because of security concerns.
Adjective
-
Name the worry out loud, then choose a small boundary that protects your energy, such as turning off notifications during a demanding task.
-
People milled about clutching small rainbow flags from the human rights organization Outright International.
Adjective
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Others warned that Emmer’s comments and the growing animosity towards Somali- and Muslim-American communities marked a regression to a more bigoted era in the United States.
-
That means that, every once in a while, when someone is saying bigoted things or acting aggressively around other customers, they get kicked out.
Adjective
-
Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
-
As long as there have been people, there have been petty complaints about people.
Adjective
-
However, curiosity can interrupt that narrow-minded thinking, according to Maya Nehru, MA, LMFT, a psychotherapist offering services in anxiety and trauma in San Diego and Washington.
-
This is a valid concern, which is why the solution must be comprehensive, not narrow-minded.
Adjective
-
Once, in anthropology class, my professor lectured on an insular island tribe that cackled whenever someone got hurt.
-
Of course, Hollywood is always going to gravitate more toward America’s insular sporting worlds.
Cite this Entry
“Small-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small-minded. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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