piddly

adjective

ˈpid-lē How to pronounce piddly (audio)
Definition of piddlynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  1. slight
  2. nominal
  3. tiny
  4. petty
  5. piddling
  6. insignificant
  7. trivial
  8. paltry
Adjective
  • Although this represents a slight premium compared to the broader gaming industry mean, Wynn's justifies a premium.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The Chiefs were pushed back 5 yards and on the do-over, Malcolm Roach sacked Mahomes, who complained afterward that Moore's movement was so slight as to not merit a flag in that crucial situation.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • While this milestone drew headlines, nominal dollar numbers are the wrong metric to focus on in connection with fiscal matters.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Deflation and weak corporate profitability are already eroding China’s fiscal revenues, which have basically been flat in nominal terms since 2019.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • The tiny island is a wildlife reserve and nesting seabird colony of native species, including the brown booby and frigate.
    — Pedro Portal, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2026
  • When the coating dries, tiny cracks naturally form across its surface.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • Morrow is a 45-year-old woman convicted of misdemeanor assault and three petty offenses for blocking a Department of Homeland Security building and touching an agent’s shoulder in south Charlotte last November.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
  • More recently, Newsom has resisted calls to fund Proposition 36, a ballot measure that levies harsher penalties for petty crime that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2024.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • Chris regards his role in the deaths and disappearances of thousands of innocents with a weary shrug—and, on rare dark nights of the soul, a piddling note of regret.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.
    — Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3 Dec. 2020
Definition of piddling
Adjective
  • Her own mortality seems insignificant against the languorous pace of geologic time.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Do not ignore a small bill simply because the amount seems insignificant.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of insignificant
Adjective
  • These sounds are strange bedfellows, but the delirium rarely feels indulgent or trivial.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Wiring the Teensy to the magnetic-imaging tile was trivial, only complicated by the fact that one side of the board has a silk-screen error that misidentifies the SPI connections (SparkFun says this will be fixed in future runs of the board).
    — Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • At least until the last decade, public documents of Rolling Thunder’s two five-week spurts in 1975 and 1976 have been paltry and unsatisfying.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Bernal believed that our bodies, those paltry shells, were not long for this world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of paltry

Browse Nearby Words

piddling
piddly
pidgin
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Cite this Entry

“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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