piffle

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun trivial nonsense
  2. verb speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
  3. verb act in a trivial or ineffective way

Etymology

Unknown, 1847. Perhaps blend of piddle + trifle, perhaps puff (“(onomatopoeia, puff of air)”) + -le (“diminutive”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

balderdash, fiddle-faddle

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