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

The slight worry is that Zheng will run out of gas at some point after coming through the qualifying tournament and winning six matches in New York.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
For all their advantages, quantum technologies are extremely sensitive, and these devices can be thrown out of gear by the slightest changes in temperature or environmental noise.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of slight

Adjective

The creditor will still have to fork over hard cash to pay for the costs of the auction (which is usually nominal) as well as to compensate the debtor for any exemption value of that asset.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
In the original lawsuit, Hanaway only sought $1 in nominal damages for the state, Cacioppo and his business, Industrial Salvage and Wrecking.

— Jack Harvel August 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of nominal

Adjective

Our study takes only a tiny step – but still a step – in that direction, helping to nail down the mechanism of exotic superconductivity in graphene.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
The grand scale of cosmic time reminds her (and us) that social mores and strictures are tiny, meaningless things, that what matters is passion and freedom.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of tiny

Adjective

But armed officers dressed in camouflage alongside military vehicles have apparently not acted as enough of a deterrent to petty criminals.

— Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
The jury found both Morrow and Stanley guilty of petty misdemeanor charges of obstructing federal property, disrupting government officials’ duties and failing to comply with officials’ orders.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of petty

Adjective

Suddenly, what seemed like an insignificant expense becomes an operational cost that deserves the same scrutiny as cloud infrastructure, software subscriptions or energy consumption.

— Tiffany Chang, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
The inciting incident behind the murder of one of the greatest rappers of all time very well might have been triggered by an ostensibly insignificant brawl at a mall Foot Locker.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of insignificant

Adjective

Most of these alterations are trivial, although one major change, coming near the end, is a very bad idea.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
If Vance were to renounce Carlson over a matter as trivial as, say, Carlson’s oddly positive assessment of Adolf Hitler, what hope is there for society?

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 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

Browse Nearby Words

piddling

piddly

pidgin

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“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of piddly

adjective

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