as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
there's only a piddly difference in price between the two paintings, so take whichever you prefer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piddly
This stole the top spot from 1993, with its piddly 76 days over 100.
—
Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024
Online savings accounts have proliferated in recent years, offering higher yields than the piddly rates attached to ordinary savings accounts, which are less than 0.1%, on average.
—Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
Byrne is still a United States congressman and that’s no piddly thing.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 7 Nov. 2019
This information isn't written in the controller's piddly instruction manual.
—Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2018
After Kilauea's 1924 summit explosions, the volcano entered a decade of piddly rumblings, followed by 18 years of silence.
—Sophia Yan and Malcolm Ritter, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 June 2018
But sometimes self-denial is its own form of power, as you are no doubt noticing, crammed into that piddly apartment.
—Helaine Olen, Slate Magazine, 25 Jan. 2017
Adding an additional 23,000 km is really a piddly amount.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2010
Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024
Online savings accounts have proliferated in recent years, offering higher yields than the piddly rates attached to ordinary savings accounts, which are less than 0.1%, on average.
—Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
Byrne is still a United States congressman and that’s no piddly thing.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 7 Nov. 2019
This information isn't written in the controller's piddly instruction manual.
—Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2018
After Kilauea's 1924 summit explosions, the volcano entered a decade of piddly rumblings, followed by 18 years of silence.
—Sophia Yan and Malcolm Ritter, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 June 2018
But sometimes self-denial is its own form of power, as you are no doubt noticing, crammed into that piddly apartment.
—Helaine Olen, Slate Magazine, 25 Jan. 2017
Adding an additional 23,000 km is really a piddly amount.
—Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piddly
Adjective
-
Is this the flipside of a higher nominal-growth metabolism across the world?—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
-
On the eve of World War I, Britain’s total debt, in nominal pounds, was about the same as 1819.—
Nathan Lewis,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Barefoot driving is legal in all 50 states, with the one slight exception being Alabama where footwear is required on motorcycles.—
Georgea Kovanis,
The Courier-Journal,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Mail-in voting is now more popular among Democrats In the 2008 presidential election, there was only a slight difference in the popularity of mail-in voting by political party, according to a data analysis by Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And in the case of this particular tiny home, the Timberline model by Amazon brand Allwood, that picture-perfect retreat is just a click away.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
So pack that sunscreen, toss a floppy hat into your weekend bag, and get ready to sip fruity drinks with tiny umbrellas.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Take a trip to 2099, with Star Amerasu’s hysterical and clever social-media videos set in our very petty future.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The film explores the petty jealousies and power dynamics that fuel the group of interchangeable young men in Oliver’s orbit, as Matthew gradually becomes famous by association and fights to stay relevant.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
That attention to detail — the belief that no detail is insignificant — is responsible for the career of the most famous man in football.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
-
During the 1980s, mainframe engineers considered personal computers to be insignificant devices.—
Sadhasivam Mohanadas,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Truth Teller reporters repeatedly go undercover to nail down relatively trivial scoops, appearing, in the process, to flagrantly violate the Society of Professional Journalists’ ethical guidelines.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Directed by Sammi Cohen, this film centers on Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler — Adam's younger daughter), whose bat mitzvah plans are hilariously derailed by trivial mishaps.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Employees, many of whom were classified as part-time or independent contractors, earned paltry wages despite working gruelling weeks.—
Thessaly La Force,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Newsome labored in 2024, registering just 27 tackles, an interception and five passes defended in 13 games while posting a paltry 52.2 overall rating at Pro Football Focus.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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