Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

piffle

/ˈpɪf.əl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.91 in modern English

Syllables: pif-fle
IPA: /ˈpɪf.əl/

14

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Nonsense, foolish talk.

Uncountable

verb

To act or speak in a futile, ineffective, or nonsensical manner.

verb

To waste, to fritter away.

verb

To be squeamish or delicate.

Dated

Example Sentences

"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."

Etymology

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

Word Breakdown

Suffix: puff

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpɪf.əl/
British English: /ˈpɪf.əl/

Usage

Inflected Forms

piffles (present, singular) piffling (participle, present) piffled (participle, past) piffled (past)

Derived Forms

piffler

Synonyms

absurdity all my eye all my eye and Betty Martin apple grease applesauce bafflegab balderdash balls baloney banana oil Bandini baragouin

Rhymes With

sniffle riffle biffle skiffle whiffle

Questions

How do you pronounce piffle?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪf.əl/.
What does piffle mean?: Nonsense, foolish talk.
Where does piffle come from?: Unknown, 1847. Perhaps blend of piddle + trifle, perhaps puff (“(onomatopoeia, puff of air)”) + -le (“diminutive”).

How to pronounce piffle

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “piffle”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpɪf.əl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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