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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffling
Adjective
-
However, New Delhi must address a number of chronic systemic issues that prevent the world’s fourth largest economy ($4.19 trillion by nominal gross domestic product) from becoming a competitive manufacturing destination.—
Kamran Bokhari,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025 -
The Congressional Budget Office projected the increase in migrants would boost the U.S. nominal GDP by $8.9 trillion between 2024 to 2034.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who had even the slightest awareness of fine dining in Austin in the 80s, 90s and early aughts knew of Hudson's on the Bend.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
15 July 2025
-
There is a slight risk of excessive rainfall across most of east Central Florida.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Moon is opposite Mercury in your sign, and this can trigger petty squabbles.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
12 July 2025
-
We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore.—
Rob Day,
Forbes.com,
4 July 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
Adjective
-
Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 July 2025
-
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
One nautical mile west of Santorini, opposite the village of Oia and the caldera, lies the tiny island of Therasia, accessible via boat departing from Ammoudi Bay.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
-
The film community of Vancouver Island is tiny compared to the City of Vancouver’s Hollywood North hub.—
Jennie Punter,
Variety,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Regal is selling these services with a cost-savings pitch, but that may be trivial compared to the benefits of good customer service that technology can provide.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
While this matter may be trivial, family members not respecting how others present and share food can, over time, ruffle feathers in a household.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the transporting power of this festival—weirdly enhanced, even, by the not-inconsiderable hassle of navigating it—has always felt inextricable from the transporting power of its movies.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Writing in The Washington Post, Adam Taylor explains that although the British government usually collects a not-inconsiderable 40 percent on inheritances exceeding $380,000, Charles won’t pay a cent because he’s exempted.—
Timothy Noah,
The New Republic,
14 Sep. 2022
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.
Cite this Entry
“Piffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffling. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share