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Puny vs Picayune - What's the difference?

puny | picayune |

As nouns the difference between puny and picayune

is that puny is (obsolete) a new pupil at a school etc; a junior student while picayune is (us|archaic) a small coin of the value of six and a quarter cents; a fippenny bit.

As adjectives the difference between puny and picayune

is that puny is of inferior size, strength or significance while picayune is petty, trivial; of little consequence; small and of little importance; picayunish;.

puny

English

Noun

(punies)
  • (obsolete) A new pupil at a school etc.; a junior student.
  • (obsolete) A younger person.
  • *, II.12:
  • a law that the eldest or first borne child shall succeed and inherit all: where nothing at all is reserved for Punies , but obedience.
  • (obsolete) A beginner, a novice.
  • (Fuller)
  • (archaic) An inferior person; a subordinate.
  • Adjective

    (er)
  • Of inferior size, strength or significance.
  • * Shakespeare
  • A puny subject strikes at thy great glory.
  • * Keble
  • Breezes laugh to scorn our puny speed.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    See also

    * punny – relating to a pun ----

    picayune

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Petty, trivial; of little consequence; small and of little importance; picayunish;
  • * 2005 , New York Times , November 17, 2005
  • "It might seem like a picayune matter, akin to the rivalry in the film "Monty Python's Life of Brian" between the Judean People's Front, the Judean Popular People's Front and the People's Front of Judea."
  • something not worth arguing about.
  • an argument, fact, corner case, or other issue raised (often intentionally) that distracts from a larger issue at hand or does not change a primary supposition, outcome, postulate, premise, conclusion, hypothesis, judgment or recommendation;
  • small-minded: being childishly spiteful, tending to go on about unimportant things.
  • Synonyms

    * petty, trivial

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (US, archaic) A small coin of the value of six and a quarter cents; a fippenny bit.
  • A five-cent piece.
  • Something of very little value; a trifle: not worth a picayune.