Pronunciation: /ˈpjuːni/

Definitions of puny

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun; in this case, 'puny' means small or weak in size or strength

Example Sentences

A1 The puny puppy couldn't jump over the small fence.

A2 She felt puny compared to the tall basketball players on the court.

B1 The puny laptop couldn't handle the heavy video editing software.

B2 The puny efforts of the team were not enough to win the championship.

C1 His puny attempts at solving the complex problem were quickly dismissed by the experts.

C2 The puny excuses given by the CEO for the company's failure were not well-received by the shareholders.

Examples of puny in a Sentence

formal The puny budget allocated for the project was insufficient to cover all necessary expenses.

informal I can't believe you lost to that puny guy in arm wrestling!

slang That puny car of yours won't be able to keep up with us on the highway.

figurative His puny attempts at trying to impress her were met with indifference.

Grammatical Forms of puny

past tense

punied

plural

punies

comparative

punier

superlative

puniest

present tense

punes

future tense

will puny

perfect tense

has punied

continuous tense

is punying

singular

puny

positive degree

puny

infinitive

to puny

gerund

punying

participle

punied

Origin and Evolution of puny

First Known Use: 1300 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The word 'puny' originated from the Middle English word 'puisne' which meant younger or inferior in rank.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'puny' shifted from just meaning younger or inferior in rank to also refer to something small, weak, or insignificant.