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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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
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
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
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
-
Based on the two Argentines’ limited head-to-head history on the Challengers circuit — all three meetings had been won by Burrachaga in three sets — the son of one of his country’s most famous soccer players was the nominal favorite.—
Dale Robertson,
Houston Chronicle,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The lawsuit alleges Freeman Funeral Home accepted the baby’s remains for a nominal $500 fee but never followed through on its promise to provide him with a proper Christian burial.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, walnuts lend a slight crunch throughout.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Cloud cover is forecasted to stick around all day, and temperatures are likely to top out in the low 80s this afternoon with a slight breeze from the south.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With little more than a few beach chairs and a tiny oceanfront bar, these cozy accommodations feel perfectly remote and removed, just what the doctor ordered for your stay on Anegada.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The flashes occurred as tiny fragments of cosmic material, or micrometeoroids, impacted the lunar surface.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Season 1 was a full-on sensation, powered by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong's performances as Danny and Amy, two strangers whose petty clash on the road snowballs into a vicious feud.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
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
-
But the loud complaints about the Iran war emanating from the far right are not insignificant — for instance, from podcasters Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly and political journals like The American Conservative.—
David M. Drucker,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And a fair number of people — not — not huge numbers — but not insignificant numbers either — are giving it earlier or giving more.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So Minnesota’s spot in the standings is likely soon to be cemented, which will make the Wolves’ games themselves trivial.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Space toilets ultimately need to work This is not a trivial matter.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ultimately, their preferred candidate, a moderate, prevailed, but Jude said that he is disappointed with the new administration’s policies, which have cut already paltry funding for public education.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Hornets are now just 10 games away from the end of their regular season on April 12, which in recent seasons has meant that the crowds are paltry, the team is irrelevant and everyone is just ready to get the slog over with.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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