Skip to content

piffle

noun

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L325458 on Wikidata ↗

verb

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L332502 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪf.əl/

noun

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

  1. Nonsense, foolish talk.

    The wafflier the piffle, the more sharply Mr Nicholson wields his skewer.

    The move is obviously pure piffle: a dumbshow designed to placate (or at least entertain) the conservative base while distracting and antagonising rivals.

verb

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

  1. To act or speak in a futile, ineffective, or nonsensical manner.
  2. To waste, to fritter away.
  3. To be squeamish or delicate.