spit in the ocean

Meanings

nounspit in the ocean (countable and uncountable)

countableidiomaticuncountableA very small or insignificant amount; something of little importance.
Lawrence Venuti, a translator and author of The Translator's Invisibility, said that, beyond high-profile bestsellers, translations in the UK and US were still "a spit in the ocean" compared with countries such as Spain, France or Italy.
2014 August 24, Dalya Alberge, “British readers lost in translations as foreign literature sales boom”, in The Observer
Synonyms: drop in the ocean, bagatelle, bag of shells, bric-a-brac, dicky, dicky-bird, fico, fig
uncountablecard gamesA variety of poker involving an extra dealt card shared by all players.

nounA very small or insignificant amount; something of little importance.

Also see

Cite this entry

APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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