a drop in the ocean

noun phrase

British, informal

: an amount that is so small that it does not make an important difference or have much effect

They need to raise thousands of pounds for this project, so our 20-pound donation is just a drop in the ocean.

Examples of a drop in the ocean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Traffic through the key waterway remains a drop in the ocean compared to pre-war levels. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

The show will only feature 379 drones which is a drop in the ocean compared to the 22,580 world record at an event in China and the 1,571 that performed in the Disneyland Park's one-off Bastille day celebration in 2024. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 28 Feb. 2026

Knox says media coverage of Guede over the years has been a drop in the ocean compared to the constant focus on her. — Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

Humanitarian groups have warned that in a population of around 2.1 million, the aid distributed so far is a drop in the ocean of what is needed. — Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 18 June 2025

The concentrations are comparatively a drop in the ocean. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 May 2025

But, a bit like Kiribati itself, that money is a drop in the ocean. — Nick Miller, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025

Rhymes for a drop in the ocean

• commotion
• demotion
• devotion
• emotion
• laotian
• promotion
• locomotion
• lotion
• notion
• potion