as in nominal
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
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Recent Examples of piddly
Adding an additional 23,000 km is really a piddly amount.
—
Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2010
Online savings accounts have proliferated in recent years, offering higher yields than the piddly rates attached to ordinary savings accounts, which are less than 0.1%, on average.
—Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
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
But sometimes self-denial is its own form of power, as you are no doubt noticing, crammed into that piddly apartment.
—Helaine Olen, Slate Magazine, 25 Jan. 2017
Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2010
Online savings accounts have proliferated in recent years, offering higher yields than the piddly rates attached to ordinary savings accounts, which are less than 0.1%, on average.
—Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022
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
But sometimes self-denial is its own form of power, as you are no doubt noticing, crammed into that piddly apartment.
—Helaine Olen, Slate Magazine, 25 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piddly
Adjective
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The result of the shift could be a real deal of the century: an abatement of the multipronged conflicts raging in the Middle East, a political horizon and reconstruction for the Palestinians and the Lebanese, and some nominal concessions from Tehran on its nuclear program and regional malfeasance.Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
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Assad retained nominal control of much of the country with Russian, Iranian and Hezbollah assistance.Victoria Beaule, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As a result, Goose will always have a slight limp because his leg is now a bit shorter.Joy Jackson , Eula Calahan, arkansasonline.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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Although the slippers looked nearly identical, a consultant for the Smithsonian analyzed slight differences in the pairs and determined that the ones that were sold on Saturday were in many of the most famous scenes of the movie.Hank Sanders, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The rock, ringed with black and marked by distinctive white veins and dozens of tiny bright spots, was discovered as Perseverance explored a quarter-mile-wide valley called Neretva Vallis.Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
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In flash climbing, the first attempt is also the last and even a tiny mistake can prove costly.George Ramsay, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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My understanding has always been that the relic trade is loosely tolerated by the powers that be (many of whom have some pretty choice relics of their own), because one of the sneakiest ways authoritarian societies thrive is by letting their subjects get away with petty rebellions.Noel Murray, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
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As our profile lays out, the record reveals Billy Wagner as a blustery, bigger-than-life figure who engaged in petty crime and coached his family to do the same.Patricia Gallagher Newberry, The Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Then, the pandemic reduced the schedule to 60 games and Eddie got a piddling 37%.Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 3 Dec. 2020
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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
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The air concentrations of VOCs found in some candle studies have been insignificant when compared with levels previously deemed unsafe.Kristen Rogers, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024
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In fairness, the aid to families is not insignificant.Bridget Grumet, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Coined as far back as 1854 by Henry David Thoreau in Walden, the idea of mental deterioration from trivial distractions has never been more relevant.Mark Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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In Africa, businesses like Abubakar’s keep countless tons of toxic trash out of landfills, reduce the need for mining, and create thousands of jobs—hardly a trivial consideration in a nation where nearly two-thirds of people live in poverty.Vince Beiser, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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To start: November’s payrolls data showed an increase of 227,000, slightly better than expected and a big step up from October’s paltry 36,000.Jeff Cox, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2024
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Their situation is precarious: Early on, in a sign of the household’s impoverishment, Tomás cuts around the mold on a piece of sourdough bread to supplement a paltry meal.Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near piddly
Cite this Entry
“Piddly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piddly. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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