Puny
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "puny" can mean sickly, weak, or not feeling well. More broadly, it also keeps its older English sense of being small, meager, or undersized.
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Hillbilly Dude Says...
You'll hear 'puny' instead of 'ill' out in the country. Probly not too much in town. Hillbilly Dude Says...
You'll hear 'puny' instead of 'ill' out in the country. Probly not too much in town. Pronunciation
[PYOO-nee] or [PEW-nee]
Meaning & Usage
- Feeling sickly or unwell (adjective)
Mama:
You’re not eatin’ much. Feelin’ puny?
You’re not eatin’ much. Feelin’ puny?
Daughter:
Yes ma’am, I think I caught somethin’.
Yes ma’am, I think I caught somethin’.- Weak or lacking strength (adjective)
Pa:
Don’t have that puny boy tote the feed sack.
Don’t have that puny boy tote the feed sack.
Uncle:
It’d knock him flat.
It’d knock him flat.- Small or undersized (adjective)
Grandma:
That’s a puny little tomato plant.
That’s a puny little tomato plant.
Grandpa:
It might perk up after a rain.
It might perk up after a rain.variations: weak, sickly, frail, undersized, meager, feeling poorly
★ In much of the U.S., "puny" just means small. But in Appalachia and the South, it’s often about health - a weak body or a day you don’t feel right. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Middle English "puisne," meaning younger, inferior, or of lesser rank. The meaning shifted over time, and in Appalachian and Southern speech it became tied to weakness, sickness, and smallness.
Usage Notes
Very common in Appalachia and the South, especially among older generations. Outside these regions, folks often misunderstand it as just "tiny" rather than "feeling poorly."
Say It Like a Southerner
In mountain speech, often softened: "pew-nee." Can sound more like "pyoo-nee" in other regions.