petty vs puny

petty

adj
  • Secondary in importance or rank; minor, subordinate. 

  • Of or relating to the lowest grade or level of school; junior, primary. 

  • Little or small in size. 

  • Of persons or their behaviour: marked by or reflective of undesirably limited interests, sympathies, or views; begrudging, selfish, small-minded; also, preoccupied with subjects having little or no importance and not mindful of broader concerns. 

  • Having little or no importance. 

noun
  • An outbuilding used as a lavatory; an outhouse, a privy. 

  • A class or school for young schoolboys. 

puny

adj
  • Of inferior significance, size, or strength; ineffective, small, weak. 

  • (Frequently) ill; poorly, sickly. 

How often have the words petty and puny occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )