Standard Lemma guide

pissant

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɪsænt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Insignificant or unimportant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: sometimes, vulgar

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: base, contemptible, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, foolish, for the birds, futile, frivolous, idle, ignorable, immaterial, inconsequential, inconsiderable, indifferent, insignificant, like a fart in a windstorm, meager, mean, minor, miserable, negligible, nothingburger, nondescript, null, paltry, petty, picayune, picayunish, piddling, piddly, pissant, pissass, piteous, pitiful, pointless, silly, simple, slight, ticky-tacky, tin-pot, trifling, trivial, two-bit, unimportant, unweighty, vain, worthless, wretched

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An ant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: dated outside dialects

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An insignificant person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nobody

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person who adheres strictly to a rule or policy despite current circumstances.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, slang

Examples

  • Their manager is a real pissant about break times.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A person seemingly incapable of focusing on anything but the trivial, especially in the sense of trivial or irrelevant criticism.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From piss + ant, because of the urine-like smell of anthills. Compare pismire.