as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
the belief that soda is made out of acid is just piffle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to muddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 piffle
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 June 2024
To note that Gloria!, the directing debut of Italian actor-singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario, is vapid, pseudo-feminist, sentimental piffle would be entirely accurate.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
People who are too cowardly to put their names behind their allegations are hiding in the shadows, using the anonymity of dark money laws to try to raise doubts in the minds of voters by spreading inflammatory charges that amount to piffle.
—cleveland, 12 Sep. 2021
The whole story now seems like so much piffle, except for the sons who lost their mother and a princess who lost her life.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
It’s a not-quite-living imitation of a movie, a self-parody that lacks even a touch of humor—because, at the slightest sting of wit, its entire membrane of fakery would burst and leave hardly a piffle of vapor behind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2021
The fact that all those involved in discussing this question have heads full of tosh and piffle does not make for productive debates.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020
Though often dismissed as superstitious piffle, ghosts have proved surprisingly durable.
—The Economist, 28 Oct. 2017
The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
Noun
Too often, the competing streaming algorithms at Netflix, Max, and Amazon Prime Video push a smattering of undifferentiated piffle.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 June 2024
To note that Gloria!, the directing debut of Italian actor-singer-songwriter Margherita Vicario, is vapid, pseudo-feminist, sentimental piffle would be entirely accurate.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The irony of the lightweight piffle being resurrected 26 years later isn’t lost on the group.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 21 July 2023
People who are too cowardly to put their names behind their allegations are hiding in the shadows, using the anonymity of dark money laws to try to raise doubts in the minds of voters by spreading inflammatory charges that amount to piffle.
—cleveland, 12 Sep. 2021
The whole story now seems like so much piffle, except for the sons who lost their mother and a princess who lost her life.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2021
It’s a not-quite-living imitation of a movie, a self-parody that lacks even a touch of humor—because, at the slightest sting of wit, its entire membrane of fakery would burst and leave hardly a piffle of vapor behind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2021
The fact that all those involved in discussing this question have heads full of tosh and piffle does not make for productive debates.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2020
Though often dismissed as superstitious piffle, ghosts have proved surprisingly durable.
—The Economist, 28 Oct. 2017
Verb
The Ritz, a smart London hotel where Margaret Thatcher spent her last days, is in fine fettle, turning a neat annual profit and valued in the region of £800m—not bad for a property bought for a piffling £75m in 1995.
—The Economist, 31 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffle
Noun
-
And yeah, some of the items on his list are utter nonsense.Eric Miquelon, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
-
There is no nonsense in Ron Norsworthy’s gaze or tone.Essence, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Fresh herbs, such as basil or mint, can be muddled to release their natural oils, adding a fresh aromatic element to cocktails.Rachel King, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
-
Murphy’s recent shows at his legacy home base, FX, have been muddled and baroque, but on ABC, he’s got the goods, as evidenced by the premiere episode of his new show set on a luxury cruise ship.Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
The Paragon was one of few splits reliable enough to navigate through the garbage with a semblance of grace, all while encouraging riders to throw little spins, ride switch, and pop off rock-hard pillows without too much concern for landing stability.Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
-
The citizens of this country are not garbage for wanting to be able to afford groceries and a nice place to live.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Once out of the bag, a quick shake fluffed up the down, which was a dream to sleep on.Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2024
-
The top section of the tree is easily attached and the branches can be fluffed. Balsam Hill also offers video tutorials and customer support to assist you with setup if need more help.Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Johnson: There’s so much rubbish talked about this.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
-
Collins was mortified; the conga player was rubbish.Ryan Craig, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Verb
-
November and December are shaping up to be important transitional months for you that may take the form of rerouting your internal GPS after blundering wildly off course.Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2024
-
Each encounter is an invitation to panic and blunder, and be forced to repeat it.Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
Refrigerate overnight and then top with honey or maple syrup, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, coconut flakes or nuts.Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 2 Oct. 2024
-
Specifically, there's an amino acid in nuts and meat called L-arginine that becomes converted to nitric oxide in the body, which can increase blood flow.Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Kate Fox: People don’t realize Hocus Pocus is fiction, which boggles my mind.Shannon Carlin, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024
-
There are so many questions related to this that boggle the mind: why doesn’t Ashley fight harder for Joanne to make this a priority?Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near piffle
Cite this Entry
“Piffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffle. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share