adj
puny
PYOO-nee
adj
1
Small, weak, or unimpressive; lacking strength or significance.
"His puny arms could barely lift the box."
"The company's puny profits worried investors."
How to Use Puny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWeak, small, or not strong enough to matter.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with the legal term "puisne" (a junior judge) — same root, but puny is now used only to mean weak or small.
Common pairings
puny effort
puny excuse
a puny frame
Word Forms
punier comparative, punies plural, puniest superlative
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Etymology
A respelling of the older word puisne ("born later, junior"), from Old French puis ("after") plus né ("born") — literally someone younger or lower in rank, which shifted in meaning to "weak" or "small."