piffling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpi-flən How to pronounce piffling (audio)
Definition of pifflingnext
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention from his perspective as a billionaire, what the governor got paid was a piffling amount

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piffling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of piffle
as in blundering

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffling
  1. nominal
  2. slight
  3. petty
  4. piddling
  5. trifling
  6. tiny
  7. trivial
  8. inconsiderable
Adjective
  • The price tag for electronic travel authorizations might be nominal, but the inconvenience of being turned away at the airport—or forced to reschedule an entire trip—could be significant.
    Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
  • And while digital prints are a nominal cost, bringing back a title in 70mm or 35mm means sourcing prints and projectors and sometimes hiring projectionists, putting even greater pressure on marketing to deliver awareness.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • The Fed is now projecting headline inflation of 2.4%, a slight increase from 2.3% anticipated in September, and core inflation of 2.8%, up from 2.6%.
    Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 20 Dec. 2024
  • The tomatoes were fresh and vibrant, and there was a slight sweetness from balsamic vinegar.
    Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • My understanding has always been that the relic trade is loosely tolerated by the powers that be (many of whom have some pretty choice relics of their own), because one of the sneakiest ways authoritarian societies thrive is by letting their subjects get away with petty rebellions.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
  • As our profile lays out, the record reveals Billy Wagner as a blustery, bigger-than-life figure who engaged in petty crime and coached his family to do the same.
    Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.
    Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3 Dec. 2020
  • Millions of additional claims are expected to stream in from around the country over the coming weeks, while hiring remains piddling.
    Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2020
Definition of piddling
Adjective
  • And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.
    David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
  • The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Definition of trifling
Adjective
  • The rock, ringed with black and marked by distinctive white veins and dozens of tiny bright spots, was discovered as Perseverance explored a quarter-mile-wide valley called Neretva Vallis.
    Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
  • You’ll be tempted to look for similarities with other places—the tiny, colorful homes in Icelandic villages; the cod-reliant communities in Norway; and the accents that sound far more Irish than Canadian—but there’s simply no other place like it.
    CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • When not dithering on about trivial matters, matriarch Ella (Leena Uotila) fusses over her spouse’s drinking habits.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Its legacy software business also converts earnings into bitcoin, though this is a trivial source of MicroStrategy’s current revenues.
    Edan Yago, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • That pipeline, now at the heart of the NS2 dispute, still carries Russian gas to Germany, yielding between $2 billion and $3 billion in annual transit fees for Ukraine – not an inconsiderable amount for an economy whose total gross domestic product was $154 billion in 2020.
    Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Aug. 2021
  • For even very good students who can afford the not inconsiderable tuition, deciding which campuses to list on the UC application — each costs $70 — is less about personal preference and more about figuring out which one offers any hope of acceptance.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2021
Definition of inconsiderable
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near piffling

piffles

piffling

pig

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Cite this Entry

“Piffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffling. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

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