drop in the bucket
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drop in the bucket
Where it comes from
First used in Wycliffe's Bible, from Isaiah 40:15.
noun drops in the bucket
-
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 ocean, drop in the sea, spit in the ocean, bagatelle, bag of shells, bric-a-brac, dicky, dicky-bird, fico, fig, inconsequential, flamfew
Translations
Every language
noun an effort or action having very little influence, especially as compared to a huge problem
| Español | nimiedad, chin |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 大海の一滴 taikai-no itteki |
| 中文 | 九牛一毛 jiǔniúyīmáo, 杯水車薪 /杯水车薪 bēishuǐchēxīn, 滄海一粟 /沧海一粟 cānghǎiyīsù |
| Português | gota d'água no oceano |
| Français | goutte d'eau dans l'océan |
| Deutsch | ein Tropfen auf den heißen Stein |
| Русский | ка́пля в мо́ре káplja v móre |
| Tiếng Việt | muối bỏ biển |
| العربية | قَطْرَة فِي الْمُحِيط qaṭra fī l-muḥīṭ |
Talk about this word "drop in the bucket." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. drop in the bucket. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket "drop in the bucket." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket.Cite this
@misc{drop_in_the_bucket_2026,
title = {drop in the bucket},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/drop%20in%20the%20bucket},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
