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
-
Fines can range from a nominal fee to a hefty chunk of change.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Trump said on Thursday that the rate should be two to three percentage points lower—such low nominal rates have historically tended to accompany periods of weak or slowing economic activity.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The aging Airy had devoted his observatory to stellar measurements that now produced trifling improvements to navigation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But because this all unfolded early on a Saturday morning, and oil-futures trading doesn’t open until Sunday evening, investors had a slight buffer.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
-
With an emphasis on energy management thanks to the uptick in electrical power, the introduction of active aerodynamics and a slight reduction in the size and weight of the cars, the drivers have found the new challenge refreshing.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The effect demands a more active degree of introspection than the average documentary, and Marczak’s unwavering commitment to that endurance test approach has a powerful way of messing with viewer expectations.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In reality, your body is constantly regulating them on its own, and messing with that process can be problematic.—
Rachel Reiff Ellis,
SELF,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Family says county 'stole' family home over tiny tax, taking fight to Supreme Court.—
,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
However, heat can cause iodide to be lost from the surface, leaving behind tiny holes.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
From the creators of The Hills, Selling Sunset provides viewers with romance, petty drama, luxurious homes, and a game of trying to remember which Oppenheim twin is which.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
-
This is more than just petty high-school behaviour to be brushed off.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The person who quietly solves a critical problem looks less valuable than the one sending three status updates a day about trivial progress.—
Andy Molinsky,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
These differences are not trivial.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The big question is whether Rodriguez is fooling Trump.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has been fooling birds for years, reflecting the sky and delivering a hard stop.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddling. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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