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Definitions

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.

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

Yes, it’s a drop in the bucket compared with Harvard’s gigantic $57 billion endowment.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 21, 2025

Their assets are still a drop in the bucket of the $7.4 trillion sitting in traditional money-market funds, according to the Investment Company Institute.

From Barron's • Oct. 15, 2025

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