piffle
/ˈpɪf.əl/noun, verb
piffle is spelled P-I-F-F-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 105,204th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, piffle means “Nonsense, foolish talk” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in piffle?
| Letters | 6: P-I-F-F-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 12 million words; the 105,204th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is piffle?
Piffle appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 105,204th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce piffle?
- US /ˈpɪf.əl/
Piffle has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-piffle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with piffle?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as piffle from its last stressed vowel (/ɪfəl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of piffle
- piffles present, singular, he/she/it
- piffling participle, present
- piffled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does piffle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Nonsense, foolish talk.
verb
- 1
To act or speak in a futile, ineffective, or nonsensical manner.
- 2
To waste, to fritter away.
- 3
datedTo be squeamish or delicate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Piffle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | babil, logorrhée, diarrhée verbale, déconnage, bafouillage, jargon |
| German | Unsinn, Blödsinn, Quatsch , quatschen, plappern, quasseln |
| Portuguese | conversa fútil |
| Spanish | parloteo, chapurreo, chamullo, cháchara, jerga, jerigonza |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does piffle come from?
Unknown, 1847. Perhaps blend of piddle + trifle, perhaps puff (“(onomatopoeia, puff of air)”) + -le (“diminutive”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).