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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piffling
Adjective
-
The Eagles saved a nominal amount of money after months of negotiations.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
29 May 2025 -
Judges could set the bond at a nominal amount, like $1.—
Caitlin Babcock,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
By virtue of no state income tax, Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas, Dallas and Nashville do enjoy a slight competitive advantage, but the first 14 Cup champions of the cap era didn’t share that same edge.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
Injuries can range from a slight stretching of the ligament to a complete tear, where the knee becomes unstable.—
Paul McClure
May 31,
New Atlas,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Which party is willing to set aside petty differences and ego, and work in the interests of American prosperity?—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
6 June 2025
-
This Christlike journey of scapegoating and torment ends in comeuppance for the haters and doubters, whose petty provocations tend to evoke a Bond villain in adolescence.—
Joshua Hunt,
Vulture,
5 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
Adjective
-
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
28 May 2010
Adjective
-
And with the ability to connect more than 120 devices, the tiny Slate 7 is suitable for use by work teams, families and multi-device users.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
Don't give in to temptation and cross over with your mower—not even a tiny bit.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Every interaction, no matter how trivial, could end up being a bit.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
This explains why trivial choices, like what to wear or eat and many more throughout your day can leave you mentally exhausted before tackling important tasks.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 May 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
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Cite this Entry
“Piffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piffling. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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