as in small beer
something of little importance
our lives don't amount to a picayune in the great scheme of things
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for picayunes
Noun
-
In the bar, besides those coming and going, there were also two people sitting at a table: a toothless man, who sipped a small beer while rolling a cigarette with the leisurely pace of someone who had nothing else to do that day, and a very fat woman with purple streaks in her hair.—
Óscar Martínez,
The Dial,
30 Apr. 2026 -
Compared to those turbulent days, the second biggest defeat of Parkinson's reign is very small beer.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Black plumes of smoke clouded the skies as thousands of participants arrived in the city.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
Thick columns of smoke hung in the air on Wednesday morning as delegates arrived to pick up their badges.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
This seemingly small change highlights a fundamental shift.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
There is one small change, however.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The Skippers pushed their advantage to 6-0 before the clock hit triple zeroes in the opening frame.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
-
Just trying to go out there and put up zeros or a one to keep the team in the game.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
But in the past year, the scope of insider trading has grown to unprecedented levels thanks to new platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket that offer bets on everything from major world events to celebrity trifles.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Treaties were trifles compared to armies and bullets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What to do after writing some of this century’s most devastating songs about the torment of breaking up?—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
She’s beloved as evidenced by her fans recreating her songs on TikTok.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Picayunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/picayunes. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
