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
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
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
-
Seven has been the nominal crew size on the ISS since 2020.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
This year, though, both LaHood and Bost are running unopposed in the March 17 GOP primary and Miller’s facing only nominal opposition.—
Daniel C. Vock,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There used to be a down season in Edinburgh, when Scotland's capital city—with its beautiful Gothic buildings, cobblestoned Royal Mile, and 12th-century castle keeping watch on a hilltop—caught a slight breather from tourists.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Down two goals against an opponent also full of NHL players, the tournament favorite did not look the slightest bit shook.—
Stephen Whyno,
Hartford Courant,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The tiny tip gives you flexibility to fill and shape your brows for a bold look or something more minimal with just a little enhancement and color.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
20 Feb. 2026
-
These particles are covered with tiny chain-like structures that interact with metal ions in solution.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Here are some of the pettiest, most unimportant frustrations so far.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Forget all this childish behavior and just stop being so petty.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 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
-
Not that the moments are insignificant.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The shifts from one poll to another have been almost insignificant in isolation and easily within the surveys’ margin of error.—
Craig Gilbert,
jsonline.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And what may be trivial to you may be important enough to Mamdani to not be changed.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Join us in guessing the outcome of mostly trivial questions about Super Bowl LX.—
Brandon Funston,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
On top of the tariff challenges, paltry snowfall in the West has led to less exposure for Wildcoat’s gear.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The paltry level of retirement savings may also help explain rising poverty among older Americans.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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