drop in the bucket

noun

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

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

Similar
drop in the oceandrop in the seaspit in the oceanbagatellebag of shellsbric-a-bracdickydicky-bird
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Meanings

noundrop in the bucket (plural drops in the bucket)

plural drops in the bucket

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

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

    Synonyms: drop in the ocean, drop in the sea, spit in the ocean, bagatelle, bag of shells, bric-a-brac, dicky, dicky-bird

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
drop in the oceandrop in the seaspit in the oceanbagatellebag of shellsbric-a-bracdickydicky-birdficofiginconsequentialflamfewflyspeckminuityniff-naffpicayunescuddicksopticky-tacktoy

More synonyms by meaning

nounan effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.

Similar
drop in the ocean
Broader
insufficiencyinadequacydeficiency
Also see
drop in the oceandrop in the ponddrop in the sea

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

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

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic قَطْرَة فِي الْمُحِيط
  • 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, 杯水車薪 /杯水车薪
  • 九牛一毛 (jiǔniúyīmáo)an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • 杯水車薪 /杯水车薪 (bēishuǐchēxīn)an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • 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
  • kapka v mořian effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Dutch een druppel in de oceaan, een druppel op de gloeiende plaat
  • een druppel in de oceaanan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • een druppel op de gloeiende plaatan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Finnish pisara meressä
  • pisara meressäan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
French goutte d'eau dans l'océan
  • goutte d'eau dans l'océanan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
German ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein
  • ein Tropfen auf den heißen Steinan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Hungarian csepp a tengerben, csepp az óceánban
  • csepp a tengerbenan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • csepp az óceánbanan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Icelandic dropi í hafið
  • dropi í hafiðan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Japanese 大海の一滴
  • 大海の一滴 (taikai-no itteki)an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Polish kropla w morzu, kropla w morzu potrzeb
  • kropla w morzuan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • kropla w morzu potrzeban effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Portuguese gota d'água no oceano
  • gota d'água no oceanoan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Russian ка́пля в мо́ре
  • ка́пля в мо́ре (káplja v móre)an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Spanish nimiedad, chin
  • nimiedadan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
  • chinan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Swedish en droppe i havet
  • en droppe i havetan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Ukrainian крапля в морі
  • 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
  • muối bỏ biểnan effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
Cite this entry
APA

drop in the bucket. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket

MLA

“drop in the bucket.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drop in the bucket,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket.

Source: drop in the bucket on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.