/ ˈpjuːni; NAmE / adjective ( puni·er , puni·est ) ( disapproving )
1.
small and weak
SYN feeble :
The lamb was a puny little thing.
2.
not very impressive :
They laughed at my puny efforts.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (as a noun denoting a younger or more junior person): phonetic spelling of puisne .