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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Adjective

The two remained locked in a tight race as early voting nears with Talarico having a slight edge in most polls.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
The bodice of the top was a crisp white, while the sleeves were cast in vibrant yellow, a slight nod to the bold color trend for the season.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of slight

Adjective

That translates to literally hundreds of millions of Star Wars cards in print, so investors can easily find individual cards or complete sets for nominal prices.

— Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
Diesel fuel has been setting nominal record highs – an aftereffect of rising global oil prices as well as a supply bottleneck from refineries damaged by the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

— Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of nominal

Adjective

Commonly associated with environmental risk factors such as smoking or exposure to hazards like radon, the rare but aggressively fast-growing condition gets its name from the unusually tiny appearance of its cells.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
These tiny architects of the deep sea actively regulate microbial populations.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tiny

Adjective

Blacks in the South were routinely imprisoned on petty or trumped-up charges, then leased out to landowners, mining companies, railroads and factories as unpaid labor.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, out on the streets, young con artist Thomas Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica) and pickpocket Lisa Molinari (Lauren Morais) are running petty scams.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 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

Holly’s parents rejected the idea that the stakes become insignificant because the athletes are in high school.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
While seemingly insignificant, these small changes make for a Rice Krispies treat that’s perfectly pullable, delightfully sweet yet salty, and just a touch more exciting than the classic.

— Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of insignificant

Adjective

To non-historians, the difference of a few years might seem rather trivial.

— Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
But in Season 4, the balance is off, and the fictional president’s parallels to our real-life war-starting, ally-betraying POTUS only make the former’s plight feel that much more trivial.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of trivial

Adjective

The subdued crowd in Chavez Ravine was often drowned out by the paltry number of Brewers fans in attendance.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
There are many legitimate reasons to bash Becerra, from his refusal to participate in more debates to his paltry number of public rallies to a platform that sounds like more of what created California’s current woes.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of paltry

Browse Nearby Words

piddling

piddly

pidgin

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of piddly

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

syncretic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes