a very tiny part of something big
a very small amount compared to the amount needed or expected
unimportant or insignificant amount
a very small proportion of the whole
Her cry was only a single drop in the ocean compared to the billions of tears shed by mourners after the war.
Microsoft is a big company, so $30 million isn’t that big of a drop in the bucket.
A hundred thousand may seem a lot, but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the millions that need to be spent.
The federal government’s $500 million rescue package is a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed.
I always try to give money to the charity, but sometimes I feel it is just a drop in the ocean.
Our government’s sending thousand tons of food, but that’s just a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed.
My letter of protest was just a drop in the ocean.
I know twenty dollars is just a drop in the ocean, but if everyone gave that much it’d make a big difference.
A few thousand pounds is a drop in the ocean when you think about the millions that will be spent on this project.
We realize that what we are accomplishing is a drop in the ocean. But if this drop were not in the ocean, it would be missed. — Mother Teresa
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.