as trivial as a gnat's pee
- idiom
- Informal
:
tan trivial como la orina de un mosquito
- The difference between the two proposals is as trivial as a gnat's pee and hardly worth debating.
Examples
-
Don't worry about those comments; they are as trivial as a gnat's pee.
-
Her worries seemed as trivial as a gnat's pee compared to the real problems they faced.
-
He became upset over an issue that was as trivial as a gnat's pee.
-
This issue is as trivial as a gnat's pee.
-
Her concerns about the event were as trivial as a gnat's pee when considering the larger issues at hand.
-
The debate over the color of the new logo was as trivial as a gnat's pee compared to the company's financial struggles.
-
He found the criticism to be as trivial as a gnat's pee, given the success of the project.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Not very important
121
3.9
Not important or serious
120
3.7
Small and unimportant in position or power
104
4.1
Not important or too small to matter
54
1.9
Not worth attention or notice
37
4.4
Very small in size or amount
31
5.6
Very small or unimportant and not worth worrying about
13
9.0
Not serious or important
7
6.6
Very small and not important enough to need attention
4
7.9
A very small amount or unimportant detail
3
6.8
Too small or not important enough to matter
1
8.9
A person or thing that others see as worthless
1
4.3
Very small and easy to miss
1
6.1
Too small to be important
1
9.9
Small and not important
1
8.6
Too small or not important to matter
1
9.7
Of little value and not important
A small annoying problem or worry that does not need serious attention
Not important or serious compared with other things
Small and of little value or importance
Very low in value and not important
Small in amount and not important
Very small or unimportant
Antonyms
How Insignificant
- Informal
104
4.1
121
3.9
54
1.9
600
2.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
as + trivial + as + a + gnat's + pee
The simile is compositionally transparent: the comparative frame 'as...as' plus 'trivial' and the image 'gnat's pee' (a gnat is very small, so its urine is negligible) directly conveys extreme insignificance. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words and the simile pattern can infer the intended meaning without prior exposure, since many languages use tiny/insignificant items to express triviality.
Etymology
As trivial as a gnat's pee compares something to the tiny pee of a gnat, a very small insect. Because that image is so small and almost invisible, the phrase means 'extremely insignificant'.