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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffling
Adjective
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Here’s why: Although technical specifications are still being worked out, the new standard could deliver nominal peak data rates of more than 40Gbps.—
Sarah Lord,
PC Magazine,
1 July 2025 -
In practice, that has resulted in the actual levies on imports often being lower than the nominal rate initially announced by the White House.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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And when detecting the artist approaching flow, the device would emit a subtle cue — a slight change in the sound of their instrument or the lighting — to give the brain a subconscious boost and thereby accelerate and enhance one’s immersion into flow.—
Brandon Sneed,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
-
Obviously, the lack of IBIS won't matter in the slightest for astrophotography.—
Kimberley Lane,
Space.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Moon is opposite Mercury in your sign, and this can trigger petty squabbles.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
-
We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore.—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2010
Adjective
-
One nautical mile west of Santorini, opposite the village of Oia and the caldera, lies the tiny island of Therasia, accessible via boat departing from Ammoudi Bay.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
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Her tiny strides nestled among the cypress trees near the Guadalupe River.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Abandoning a cash cow for an unproven idea is not a trivial undertaking.—
Zain Jaffer,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Barbie; Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning; and F1: The Movie are intentionally trivial.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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But the transporting power of this festival—weirdly enhanced, even, by the not-inconsiderable hassle of navigating it—has always felt inextricable from the transporting power of its movies.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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Writing in The Washington Post, Adam Taylor explains that although the British government usually collects a not-inconsiderable 40 percent on inheritances exceeding $380,000, Charles won’t pay a cent because he’s exempted.—
Timothy Noah,
The New Republic,
14 Sep. 2022
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Cite this Entry
“Piffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffling. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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