Both Uses of
petty
in
To the Lighthouse
- He is petty, selfish, vain, egotistical; he is spoilt; he is a tyrant; he wears Mrs. Ramsay to death; but he has what you (she addressed Mr. Bankes) have not; a fiery unworldliness; he knows nothing about trifles; he loves dogs and his children.†
Part 1 *
- Was it not secretly this that she wanted, and therefore when Mr. Carmichael shrank away from her, as he did at this moment, making off to some corner where he did acrostics endlessly, she did not feel merely snubbed back in her instinct, but made aware of the pettiness of some part of her, and of human relations, how flawed they are, how despicable, how self-seeking, at their best.†
Part 1
Definitions:
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(1)
(petty as in: a petty crime) of less importance -- at times implying insignificance
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(2)
(petty as in: don't be petty) unpleasantly focusing on an unimportant flaw; or attempting to make someone suffer for an unimportant wrong
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(3)
(petty as in: petty officer) a non-commissioned officerPetty officer typically refers to a Navy or Coast Guard officer who is subordinate to commissioned officers and chief petty officers.