PIDDLY Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

piddly

adjective

ˈpid-lē

Definition of piddly

as in slight

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

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.

Recent Examples of piddly The piddly fines certainly aren’t a deterrent. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026 This stole the top spot from 1993, with its piddly 76 days over 100. — Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 21 Dec. 2024 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piddly

Adjective

Another clever stunt that Althoff pulled off on the The Really Good Podcast was that she was involved in a slight-of-hand brand stunt with L’Oreal’s CeraVe.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Chubb was a slight disappointment in his Bills debut from a pass-rushing perspective.

— Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of slight

Adjective

For a nominal sum, the paper each day serves up authoritative accounts of sports events that occurred as much as a day earlier, give or take.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
The calculation refers to nominal total returns, combining coupon income and changes in the bond's market price.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of nominal

Adjective

Wool makes up a tiny percentage of fashion’s fiber basket, and in sustainability circles, it is often touted as a perfect playground for better farming practices, and a natural alternative to synthetic performance fabrics.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2026
His partner, six-time DWTS competitor Britt Stewart, speaks to him quietly, offering gentle direction and making tiny posture adjustments that instantly sharpen his moves.

— Lily Moayeri, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of tiny

Adjective

The good and the bad of democracy — healthy debate and petty political theater — were on display that weekend in Brussels.

— Esther King, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026
Mehring’s characters include petty criminals, unscrupulous lawyers, Galician Jews, Freikorps heavies, local and international businessmen, Prussian generals, and the everyday citizens inhabiting the streets of Berlin’s old and rather dingy center.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of petty

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

Definition of piddling

Adjective

One of the most interesting and useful things that romantic drama, classic or modern, can do is to distinguish essential characteristics from trivial ones.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2026
At the same time, the impact/value can be low when autonomous operations are only applied to trivial, time-consuming tasks.

— Karthik Kannan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of trivial

Adjective

The country is mired in a war with Iran with no graceful exit opportunities; a new round of tariffs threatens to further disrupt fragile global trade relations; and the domestic economy faces inflation combined with paltry growth.

— Zachary Karabell, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2026
Being paid a paltry second-line rate for the next six years is a bargain.

— Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of paltry

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piddling

piddly

pidgin

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“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of piddly

adjective

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