piffling 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpi-flən How to pronounce piffling (audio)
Definition of pifflingnext
as in nominal
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention from his perspective as a billionaire, what the governor got paid was a piffling amount

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piffling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of piffle
as in blundering

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffling
  1. nominal
  2. blundering
  3. slight
  4. muddling
  5. petty
  6. boggling
  7. piddling
  8. bungling
Adjective
  • For now, the aftermarket pays nominal registry fees to officially access the manufacturers’ secure gateways.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026
  • As a base rate, the S&P grows earnings approximately 6% a year, in line with historical nominal GDP growth.
    — Timothy P. Beyer, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Verb
  • On Monday, the first day of the trial in which Basabe is representing himself without an attorney, the proceedings were shaded by Basabe’s blundering legal missteps and procedural chaos.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • The bull sagged at the front quarters, then began a desperate, blundering run.
    — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026
Definition of blundering
Adjective
  • Sale appeared to have a slight hitch in his leg before starting his motion when he was called for his third career balk.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • And earlier this week, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for June showed a slight pickup in hiring and quits (an indicator of employee confidence) while layoffs were essentially unchanged.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of slight
Verb
  • Drop in the cinnamon sticks and cloves, gently muddling once or twice to release their aroma.
    — John Kell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
  • Ken Holland, general manager, B Holland arrived on the scene of a muddling franchise that had lost four straight first-round series to the same opponent.
    — Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of muddling
Adjective
  • The show finds ways to expose the worst in its characters, their pettiest, most vengeful, greediest parts.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond petty crime, the department warned that Belgium remains at risk for terrorist attacks and related activity.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of petty
Verb
  • The audience is relieved of the prior editions’ boggling tsunami wall of zombies.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 17 May 2026
  • Advertisement All eyes will be on Ilia Malinin, for the stunning array of quadruple jumps that the Virginia native pulls off with a mind boggling ease.
    — Alice Park, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of boggling
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
Verb
  • The combustion of Graham Platner’s candidacy in Maine is another blow to a Democratic Party trying to mend its reputation after bungling the 2024 presidential election.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
  • San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who polled at 5% in the CBS survey, accused Becerra of bungling the federal government’s response to COVID-19, mpox and the influx in child migrants under former President Joe Biden.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of bungling
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

piffles
piffling
pig
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Cite this Entry

“Piffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffling. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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