as in crime
a small mistake or fault that is not regarded as very bad or serious
His political career was marked by numerous peccadillos, but no huge scandals.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of peccadillo
What if the new boss’ weird peccadilloes — Patoff abolishes work-from-home, abruptly fires a staffer whose smell displeases him and thinks nothing of making 3 a.m. phone calls and demands — escalate?
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2023
The creep then uses these peccadilloes to blackmail ostensibly good folks into all sorts of weird behavior — like convincing a guilty-conscience police officer to undermine the investigation, and when the cops get close, even to commit murder on his behalf.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
He’s simply been willing to overlook a peccadillo or two if the guy’s good enough.
—Dallas News, 20 Feb. 2023
Sadly, performance and build quality didn’t live up to the promise, and fewer than 9,000 units were made by the time the entire operation was shuttered following John DeLorean’s white-powder peccadillo.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for peccadillo
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2023
The creep then uses these peccadilloes to blackmail ostensibly good folks into all sorts of weird behavior — like convincing a guilty-conscience police officer to undermine the investigation, and when the cops get close, even to commit murder on his behalf.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
He’s simply been willing to overlook a peccadillo or two if the guy’s good enough.
—Dallas News, 20 Feb. 2023
Sadly, performance and build quality didn’t live up to the promise, and fewer than 9,000 units were made by the time the entire operation was shuttered following John DeLorean’s white-powder peccadillo.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 29 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for peccadillo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peccadillo
Noun
-
With countless crimes to choose from, the series joins its sister show, American Murder.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
-
From cold cases cracked decades later to trials still underway, here are 18 fatal crimes that occurred at colleges and universities.—
Corin Cesaric,
People.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Only one major-league third baseman, the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado, has more errors than Muncy’s eight through his first 49 games of the season.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
27 May 2025
-
The poll of 1,136 Democrats carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2.89 percentage points.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
Baldwin also faced an involuntary manslaughter charge in connection with Hutchins’ death, but a judge dismissed the case in the middle of trial last summer due to prosecutorial misconduct and evidence suppression.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
-
When an instance of misconduct is alleged and the investigation begins to make some headway, the police or corrections officer might quit or retire.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
McIver denies any wrongdoing and contends the prosecution is politically motivated.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
While the musician denied any wrongdoing – and has been supported by his wife Régine Chassagne (also a member of Arcade Fire) – the claims seem to have hurt the band’s commercial appeal.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
And the sin that Crespo supposedly committed to warrant banishment?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
-
For his part, Misch has not come close to showing remorse nor confessing his sins.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Peccadillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peccadillo. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share