driblet

driblet — noun

1. an amount of money, time, information, or other resource that is so small it see

1.名詞C2
釋義

an amount of money, time, information, or other resource that is so small it seems trivial or barely worth having.

例句

Darius received only a driblet of the bonus he had been promised for the project.

a driblet of + [money/profit]

Talia was frustrated by the driblet of information the office gave her about the transfer.

a driblet of + [information]

同義詞
  • pittance

    specifically a very small amount of money, often a wage; stronger sense of unfairness than driblet

  • smidgen

    informal; a very small amount of something physical or abstract; much more casual than driblet

  • trifle

    a small amount of money; can also mean something unimportant; slightly more common than driblet

反義詞
  • abundance

    a large quantity that is more than enough

  • fortune

    a very large sum of money — the opposite of a driblet in financial contexts

文法句型

a driblet of + [uncountable noun]

用法筆記

Common in negative or disappointed contexts to emphasise that the amount is inadequate. Usually appears in the singular form 'a driblet of + noun'. Less common in everyday conversation than synonyms such as 'a tiny bit' or 'a pittance'.

常見錯誤

❌He gave me a driblet of his time' (too informal for the word's register).
✅He spared me only a driblet of his valuable time.
💡'driblet' sounds literary or formal, so it suits careful writing better than casual speech.
❌There was a driblet of people at the party' (used with countable plural noun).
✅There was a driblet of food left on the table.
💡'driblet of' is used with uncountable nouns, not with countable plurals.

2. a single very small quantity of liquid that falls or is released separately from

2.名詞C2
釋義

a single very small quantity of liquid that falls or is released separately from a larger body of the same liquid.

例句

A driblet of sweat ran down Anjali's temple as she lifted the heavy crate.

a driblet of + [bodily fluid]

Felipe watched a driblet of honey fall from the spoon and spread onto the toast.

同義詞
  • droplet

    more common than driblet; a tiny drop of liquid, often used in scientific or descriptive writing

  • bead

    a small rounded drop of liquid, especially sweat or condensation; suggests a round shape

  • globule

    technical or scientific; a small spherical drop, especially of a thick liquid

反義詞
  • gush

    a sudden large flow of liquid — the opposite of a single driblet

  • stream

    a continuous flow of liquid, as opposed to an isolated drop

文法句型

a driblet of + [liquid noun]

用法筆記

This sense is largely literary or descriptive. In everyday speech, 'drop' is far more common. 'Driblet' adds a slightly old-fashioned or poetic nuance, emphasising how small and separate the liquid quantity is.

常見錯誤

❌Add a driblet of milk to my coffee' (too literary for casual request).
✅Add a drop of milk to my coffee.
💡Use 'drop' in everyday contexts; reserve 'driblet' for descriptive writing.
❌A driblet of rain fell all day' (implies one single drop, not steady light rain).
✅A driblet of rain landed on her sleeve as she stepped outside.
💡'Driblet' means one isolated drop, not scattered light rain.