piffling 1 of 2

piffling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of piffle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffling
Adjective
  • Since 2020, public debt has surged by approximately 61%, outpacing nominal GDP growth of 38% through Q2 2025.
    Bob Haber, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Richard Kone, a goalscorer on the opening day of last season at the SToK Cae Ras in Wycombe Wanderers colours, may have been the nominal front man in a 4-2-3-1 set-up, but his link-up play and intelligent movement were matched by Harvey Vale, Koki Saito and Rumarn Burrell.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Apple so far has only been able to introduce a few basic AI features on the iPhone while failing to deliver on last year’s promise to deliver a more conversational and versatile version of its often-blundering virtual assistant Siri.
    Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The night’s slight chill is perfect for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon by an indoor fireplace or outdoor firepit.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Julie McNamara is back developing series for CBS Studios — with one slight difference.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • His recipe calls for muddling sweet Sun Gold tomatoes and fresh basil, plus a smidge of salt and sugar until juicy; then stirring in gin, vermouth, and ice until well-chilled.
    The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
  • That’s muddling the outlook for rate cuts.
    Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The newspaper reported at the time that Zinn has a criminal record dating back to 1989 that includes dozens of convictions for petty crimes such as criminal trespass, theft of services, interfering with a police officer and disturbing the peace.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The petty back-and-forth continued throughout the interview and escalated to the point that Dash threatened to get physical with CTG.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Trying to move in earlier to accommodate a pittance of an audience is mind boggling stupidity.
    Pol Ballus, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In a world where licenses and software locks forbid folks from simply plugging in a replacement component, the thought of a major company encouraging its customers to break out a soldering iron is mind boggling.
    Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 27 June 2025
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
Verb
  • When Souleymane rehearses his account, in an early scene, Barry admonishes him for blandly reciting (and often bungling) the false facts he’s been given.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Piffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffling. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!