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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
  • Concerns about this recent deceleration aside, a slight quarter-to-quarter boost is obviously preferable to the bundle’s comparable loss of 953,000 customers between the first and second quarters of this year.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • There’s only a slight chance for thunderstorms over the weekend and the sun icon, missing for days and days, now shines on its main webpage.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • Patients in Medicaid, the state- and federally-funded program for people with low incomes, already pay a nominal co-payment of a few dollars to fill their prescriptions, but lower prices could help state budgets that fund the programs.
    — Fatima Hussein, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But recent wars have exposed the gap between nominal power and usable military capability.
    — NADIA SCHADLOW, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • Because batteries in wearable devices are tiny, and 5G cellular chips can instantly cut a wearable’s battery life by half, analysts expect the devices to remain tethered to a phone for at least the next five to 10 years.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • How to try the arugula trick at home The actual habit is tiny.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of tiny
Adjective
  • Now there seems to be a petty attempt to call out cheating when no cheating took place.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • This year, alluding to the president’s petty penchant for renaming things, the town has changed its name from South Park to South America, altering the theme song, local signage and local speech, without protest.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 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
  • During the Eaton fire, the laboratory shut down for two weeks — which is not insignificant for a lab that tracks hold-ups in days.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Sports can seem ridiculously insignificant at moments like that.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of insignificant
Adjective
  • What begins as a trivial disagreement reaches new proportions regarding how far a lack of dialogue can drive people.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The book leans on research about decision fatigue—the idea that even trivial choices drain the mental capacity available for harder ones—to argue that the sheer volume of daily inputs, not just their content, has a cost.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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