pettifog
verb
pet·ti·fog
ˈpetēˌfäg,
-etē-,
-fȯg
pettifogged; pettifogged; pettifogging; pettifogs
intransitive verb
1
: to engage in legal chicanery
2
: to quibble over insignificant details : cavil, bicker
transitive verb
: to plead (as a case) with legal chicanery
Word History
Etymology
back-formation from pettifogger
pettifogging
adjective
as in hairsplitting
old-fashioned worrying too much about details that are minor or not important pettifogging lawyers Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hairsplitting
- petty
- quibbling
- slight
- nitpicking
- tiny
- minute
- trifling
- picayune
- footling
- trivial
- piddling
- piffling
- niggling
- little
- nominal
- pimping
- inconsequential
- inconsiderable
- insignificant
- peanut
- negligible
- chicken
- measly
- paltry
- no-account
- piddly
- de minimis
- inappreciable
- imperceptible
- puny
- inferior
- Mickey Mouse
- small-fry
- mean
- two-bit
- one-horse
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- serious
- substantial
- weighty
- outstanding
- conspicuous
- remarkable
- momentous
- striking
- prominent
- pivotal
- noteworthy
- considerable
- eventful
- important
- discernible
- appreciable
- measurable
- big
- significant
- material
- consequential
- discernable