puny
Feeling sickly, weak, or run-down; also small and frail.
Also called feeling puny, peaked.
Updated September 24, 2026
puny pronunciation
/PYOO-nee/
Meaning
Outside the South, puny mostly means tiny or weak-looking. In Appalachian and rural Southern talk it often means you don't feel right: "I'm feeling puny today." It covers a cold, no energy, looking peaked after the flu. It can still mean undersized, but porch conversation leans toward health more than height.
How folks use it
- “I'm feeling too puny to go to town today.”
- “That calf looks puny; better bottle-feed it a spell.”
Origin and etymology
English puny has meant weak or inferior for centuries. Southern and South Midland speech pushed it toward sickness and low energy. DARE records that health sense widely, including the phrase on the puny list for being out of commission. Blind Pig and The Acorn lists feeling puny with other mountain illness talk like peaked and weak trembles.
Frequently asked questions
Does puny just mean small?
Not around here. It often means sick or worn out. Size is only part of it.