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Showing results for piffling. Search instead for riffling.

piffling

American  
[pif-ling] / ˈpɪf lɪŋ /

adjective

  1. of little worth; trifling; piddling.

    piffling efforts.


piffling British  
/ ˈpɪflɪŋ /

adjective

  1. worthless, trivial

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of piffling

First recorded in 1890–95; piffle + -ing 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Brexiteers often summon the memory of Britain’s wartime resilience to indicate that we have what it takes to survive a piffling showdown with the E.U.

From The New Yorker

His method, exemplified in Memphis, is to highlight an emotive crime, then deploy outrage as a dragnet to sweep up piffling, often nonviolent criminals.

From Economist

The piffling toad steps away from her and says, “Non capisco! Ha!”

From Literature

Though it's a piffling amount for most people, will the charge make any difference to our bag use behaviour?

From BBC

In 2012, it dismissed claims that the comet Elenin was on its way to destroy mankind, calling it a “trail of piffling particles”.

From The Guardian