pissant

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

An insignificant person.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

It is the beauty of well designed fascism that it gives every piss-ant an ant hill to piss from.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A person who adheres strictly to a rule or policy despite current circumstances.

Register: derogatory, slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A person seemingly incapable of focusing on anything but the trivial, especially in the sense of trivial or irrelevant criticism.

Register: derogatory, slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pissant” mean?

An insignificant person.

Is “pissant” formal or informal?

pissant is generally derogatory, slang.