Standard Lemma guide

puny

adj · noun · 12 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpjuːni/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈpjuni/
  • homophone: puisne
  • rhymes with -uːni
  • CMU ARPABET: P Y UW1 N IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of inferior significance, size, or strength; ineffective, small, weak.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • You puny earthlings are no match for Ming the Merciless!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: angular, anorexic, carrion, emaciated, gangling, gangly, gaunt, haggard, macilent, lank, lanky, leptosome, pencil-necked, puny, rangy, rawboned, reedy, scraggy, scrawny, skin and bones, skinny, starved, thin as a rake, undernourished, underweight, wasted, weedy, compact, fun size, fun-sized, ickle, insignificant, lit'l, little, low, modest, mini, petty, pint-sized, pocket-size, slim, slight, small, small-scale, undersized, wee, wurly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

(Frequently) ill; poorly, sickly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Southern-US

Qualifier: south Midland US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Alternative spelling of puisne.

Inferior in rank; specifically, of a judge: junior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Alternative spelling of puisne.

Coming later in time; secondary, subsequent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Alternative spelling of puisne.

Not experienced; novice.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An inferior person; a subordinate; also, an insignificant person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Examples

  • ·

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inferior, junior, puisne, underling, vassal, absolute zero, also-ran, chopped liver, cipher, crumb, Joe Nobody, little guy, minnow, nebbish, nobody, no one, nothing, nothingburger, nonentity, picayune, pip-squeak, pleb, peon, prole, puny, quidam, rinky-dink, shrimp, wankstain, zero, zilch, assbucket, asswipe, badling, blatherskite, bugger, carrion, cockstain, custron, dandiprat, doink, dirtbag, douchebag, drop kick, fellow, fritlag, fuckbucket, geek, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, gooey, hoon, lidderon, losel, loser, louse, maggot, ne'er-do-well, no-good, no-mark, nonce, nought, nowmun, pelf, pig dog, pile of shit, pissant, punk, quat, ramp, roly-poly, scullion, shicer, shitheap, slubberdegullion, sparrow-fart, streak of piss, toerag, truant, twerp, waste of space, underperson, unworthy

Antonyms: superior, baron, big cheese, big enchilada, big gun, big kahuna, big man, big name, big noise, big shot, bigwig, big wheel, boss, grand poobah, head honcho, heavy hitter, heavyweight, high muckamuck, high muckety-muck, king of all one surveys, king of the castle, king of the hill, kingpin, macher, mayor, muckamuck, muckety muck, mugwump, numero uno, panjandrum, poobah, rooster, somebody, top banana, top boy, top cat, top dog, top gun, very important person, VIP, wheel

7

noun

Meaning 7

A younger person; a junior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Alternative spelling of puisne.

A person who is not experienced; a beginner, a novice.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: newb, rookie, tenderfoot, abecedarian, alphabetarian, apprentice, amateur, beginner, bun, colt, first-timer, fledgling, FNG, fresh meat, freshman, greenhorn, greenie, greener, homo novus, inceptor, initiate, Johnny-come-lately, learner, neophyte, newbie, newbro, new chum, newcomer, newfag, newfriend, newling, noob, n00b, novice, novitiate, nozzer, nub, nubcake, puny, pup, probationer, probationist, probie, recruit, stranger, trainee, tyro, tyrone, younker

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Alternative spelling of puisne.

A puisne or junior judge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A new student at a school, university, the Inns of Court, etc.; a junior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Qualifier: university slang

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fresher, freshman, new bug, novi, shadow

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

(used especially of persons) of inferior size

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: runty, shrimpy

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

inferior in strength or significance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a puny physique
  • puny excuses

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pósti Proto-Italic *posti Old Latin poste Latin post Proto-Indo-European *íh2 Latin ea Latin posteā Vulgar Latin *postius Old French puis Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh1- Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥h1tós Proto-Italic *gnātos Latin gnātus Latin nātus Old French né Old French puisné Middle French puisnébor. English puisne English puny PIE word *pós A respelling of puisne, from Anglo-Norman puisné (“later, more recent; junior; weakly”) [and other forms] and Middle French puisné (“born after (a specified person); younger, youngest; one who is born after (a specified person)”) (modern French puîné (“cadet (born after a sibling); a cadet (someone born after a sibling)”)), from puis (“after; since”) + né (“born”). Puis is derived from Old French pois (“after; since”), from Vulgar Latin *postius (“afterward”), from Latin posteā (“afterwards; hereafter; thereafter; next, then”), from post (“after; since”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pós (“afterwards”)) + ea (“these (things)”); and né from Latin nātus (“born”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh1- (“to beget; to give birth; to produce”).

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: дребен (dreben) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Bulgarian: недорасъл (nedorasǎl) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Catalan: desnerit — of inferior size — see also small
  • Catalan: escarransit — of inferior size — see also small
  • Catalan: feble — of inferior size — see also small
  • Chinese Mandarin: 弱小 (ruòxiǎo) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Chinese Mandarin: 微小 (wēixiǎo) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Czech: drobný — of inferior size — see also small
  • Czech: malý — of inferior size — see also small
  • Czech: drobounký — of inferior size — see also small
  • Danish: sølle — of inferior size — see also small
  • Dutch: ijdel — of inferior size — see also small
  • Dutch: klein — of inferior size — see also small
  • Dutch: nietig — of inferior size — see also small
  • Dutch: zwak — of inferior size — see also small
  • Finnish: mitätön — of inferior size — see also small
  • Finnish: vähäpätöinen — of inferior size — see also small
  • French: chétif — of inferior size — see also small
  • French: frêle — of inferior size — see also small
  • German: kläglich — of inferior size — see also small
  • German: klein — of inferior size — see also small
  • German: kümmerlich — of inferior size — see also small
  • German: mickrig — of inferior size — see also small
  • German: schwächlich — of inferior size — see also small
  • Greek: αδύνατος (adýnatos) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Greek: μικροκαμωμένος (mikrokamoménos) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Greek: μικρός (mikrós) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Irish: beag bídeach — of inferior size — see also small
  • Irish: éidreorach — of inferior size — see also small
  • Italian: gracile — of inferior size — see also small
  • Italian: sparuto — of inferior size — see also small
  • Japanese: ちっぽけな (chippoke na) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Japanese: 虚弱な (kyojaku na) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Japanese: 弱々しい (yowayowashii) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Korean: 자그마하다 (jageumahada) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Latin: pusillus — of inferior size — see also small
  • Luxembourgish: krappeg — of inferior size — see also small
  • Māori: kaurehe — of inferior size — see also small
  • Māori: pūkiki — of inferior size — see also small
  • Māori: rehe — of inferior size — see also small
  • Norwegian: ynkelig — of inferior size — see also small
  • Polish: wątły — of inferior size — see also small
  • Portuguese: fraco — of inferior size — see also small
  • Portuguese: franzino — of inferior size — see also small
  • Portuguese: pequeno — of inferior size — see also small
  • Russian: кро́хотный (króxotnyj) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Russian: кро́шечный (króšečnyj) — of inferior size — see also small
  • Spanish: flojo — of inferior size — see also small
  • Spanish: gualtrapas — of inferior size — see also small
  • Spanish: tirillas — of inferior size — see also small
  • Swedish: tanig — of inferior size — see also small
  • Swedish: ynklig — of inferior size — see also small
  • Swedish: ynkligt liten — of inferior size — see also small