Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pygmy

/ˈpɪɡmi/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.72 in modern English

Syllables
pygmy
IPA
/ˈpɪɡmi/
16
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A member of one of various tribal peoples of the Congo Basin in equatorial Africa, notable for their very short stature.

Dated

noun

Also applied to various other peoples of short stature.

Dated

noun

Any dwarfish person or thing; a disparaging term for a small person.

Derogatory; Offensive

noun

An insignificant person, at least in some respect.

Derogatory; Offensive

adj

Relating or belonging to the Pygmy people.

adj

Unusually short or small for its kind, especially in the names of animals and plants.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin Pygmaeī, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος (pugmaîos, “a member of a legendary race of dwarves”), from πυγμή (pugmḗ, “fist (as small as a fist)”). In Ancient Greek, first mentioned by Homer; only applied to actual human races in the 19th century.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: Pygmaeī, πυγμαῖος

Usage

Inflected Forms

pygmies (plural) pigmy (alternative, archaic) more pygmy (comparative) most pygmy (superlative)

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce pygmy?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪɡmi/.
What does pygmy mean?
A member of various legendary races of dwarfs, or supernatural peoples of diminutive stature.
Where does pygmy come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce pygmy

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pygmy”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɪɡmi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pygmy”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pygmy” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.