as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
raised one final, piddling objection to the plan
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Recent Examples of piddling
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
What’s particularly baffling is that Syria now produces a piddling amount of oil—about as much as Utah.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2019
That will make the current economic uncertainty look piddling.
—Daniel W. Drezner, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2019
In the battle for mind share, in the Trumpian quest to be part of every conversation, the Pixel far outweighs its piddling sales.
—Vlad Savov, The Verge, 16 Oct. 2018
Of those, only four rather piddling victories went the liberals’ way.
—The Economist, 30 June 2018
Learning about other runners' struggles and triumphs helps put my piddling run into a bigger narrative, often allowing me to see myself differently within another story.
—Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, 21 June 2018
How to: Improve the Wi-Fi reception in your home
The most-improved was Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which went from a piddling 2.68 Mbps download speed in 2017 to 59.62 Mbps this year.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 12 June 2018
Adjective
Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.
—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
What’s particularly baffling is that Syria now produces a piddling amount of oil—about as much as Utah.
—Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2019
That will make the current economic uncertainty look piddling.
—Daniel W. Drezner, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2019
In the battle for mind share, in the Trumpian quest to be part of every conversation, the Pixel far outweighs its piddling sales.
—Vlad Savov, The Verge, 16 Oct. 2018
Of those, only four rather piddling victories went the liberals’ way.
—The Economist, 30 June 2018
Learning about other runners' struggles and triumphs helps put my piddling run into a bigger narrative, often allowing me to see myself differently within another story.
—Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, 21 June 2018
How to: Improve the Wi-Fi reception in your home
The most-improved was Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which went from a piddling 2.68 Mbps download speed in 2017 to 59.62 Mbps this year.
—Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, 12 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piddling
Adjective
-
Eligible organizations may request up to $200,000, and clinics must provide free or nominal-fee services, including representation, taxpayer education, and advocacy.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
However, Fulmer said that the society worries that if the mansion is sold, even for a nominal amount, then the end of public maintenance funding could have a striking effect on the face of the building.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
But that still left the less-than-trifling matter of the second tier’s title to settle, as the teams were locked together on 97 points with one game still to play.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
The rise may seem trifling, but staffers work long hours, and a caffeine budget is a necessity.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After the unremarkable Chip Kelly recruiting era, which begat a slight bump under DeShaun Foster, what first-year coach Bob Chesney has done, before coaching a game, has been downright remarkable.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
-
The video shows slight puffs of smoke from the Sea Star’s smokestack, and then darker smoke rising from it after the strike.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Richie is constantly messing things up, Michael says.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
But Grandmere would not be messing with her phone while driving, anyway.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
One new study looked at how the coloring of microplastics – the tiny bits of plastics found everywhere from our rivers to our brains – may actually be helping increase temperatures.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
The lab didn't take DNA samples from each fish, which can be done by clipping off a tiny bit of one fin.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
In retirement, he’s gone back to that childhood, mucking the stalls and helping care for a menagerie that includes two horses, 10 mini goats, two mini pigs, a pair of horses and a bunch of chickens and dogs and cats.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Most years consist of routine maintenance, like mucking, where crews work below the lock floor, removing debris from the drainage system using shovels and buckets.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, David went on to build one of the most illustrious careers in television with characters who are often arrogant, petty and unlikable by traditional media standards.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
8 May 2026
-
Middle school is, famously, a time of petty cruelty and small-scale social Darwinism.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
No competition was too trivial.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The third day of the NFL Draft can feel a bit trivial.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddling. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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