drop in the bucket

NOUN

small amount

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bit trivial amount

STRONG

pittance small amount small change small potatoes small quantity

WEAK

Band-Aid cosmetic measure disappointment drop in the ocean lick and a promise miniscule amount not enough speck spit in the sea too little too late trifle

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.

That’s a drop in the bucket compared with Musk, who holds External link 6.4 billion shares of SpaceX.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

The problem with this way of thinking is that each of us contributes an infinitesimally small drop in the bucket of global greenhouse gases.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

Teaching unions said they would be scrutinising the proposals closely, with one saying the money was "barely a drop in the bucket" of what was needed because of "years of underfunding".

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

They create so much wealth and prosperity already that the energy business is a drop in the bucket.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

That’s a mere drop in the bucket, compared to the number of texts sent—six billion in the United States each day.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

drop in the bucket

Example Sentences

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