Phrase guide

drop in the bucket

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something of little importance, especially an inconsequential effort or action as compared to a huge problem.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • A $100 donation from an individual is generous, but it is a drop in the bucket compared to the $100,000 fundraising goal.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: drop in the ocean, drop in the sea, spit in the ocean, bagatelle, bag of shells, bric-a-brac, dicky, dicky-bird, fico, fig, flamfew, flyspeck, minuity, niff-naff, picayune, scuddick, sop, ticky-tack, toy, trick, trifle, triviality, whiffle, white chip

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

First used in Wycliffe's Bible, from Isaiah 40:15.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَطْرَة فِي الْمُحِيط (qaṭra fī l-muḥīṭ) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Chinese Mandarin: 九牛一毛 (jiǔniúyīmáo) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Chinese Mandarin: 杯水車薪 /杯水车薪 (bēishuǐchēxīn) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Chinese Mandarin: 滄海一粟 /沧海一粟 (cānghǎiyīsù) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Czech: kapka v moři — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Dutch: een druppel in de oceaan — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Dutch: een druppel op de gloeiende plaat — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Finnish: pisara meressä — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • French: goutte d'eau dans l'océan — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Georgian: ზღვაში წვეთი (zɣvaši c̣veti) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • German: ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Hungarian: csepp a tengerben — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Hungarian: csepp az óceánban — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Icelandic: dropi í hafið — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Japanese: 大海の一滴 (taikai-no itteki) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Maltese: qatra f’oċean — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Polish: kropla w morzu — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Polish: kropla w morzu potrzeb — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Portuguese: gota d'água no oceano — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Russian: ка́пля в мо́ре (káplja v móre) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Spanish: nimiedad — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Spanish: chin — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Swedish: en droppe i havet — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Ukrainian: крапля в морі (kraplja v mori) — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • Vietnamese: muối bỏ biển — an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem