trifle Hear it!

trifle Definition

tri·fle (trī′fəl)

noun

  1. something of little value or importance; trivial thing, idea, etc.; paltry matter
  2. a small amount of money
  3. a small amount or degree; bit
  4. esp. in England, a dessert consisting of spongecake soaked in wine, spread with jam, and covered with custard, whipped cream, etc.
    1. a kind of pewter of medium hardness
    2. utensils made of this

Etymology: ME < OFr trufle, mockery, dim. of truffe, deception

intransitive verb -·fled, -·fling

  1. to talk or act jokingly, mockingly, etc.; deal lightly not a person to trifle with
  2. to play or toy (with something)
  3. to play fast and loose (with a person's affections); dally

transitive verb

to spend idly; waste to trifle the hours away

trifle Related Forms

tri′·fler noun

trifle Synonyms

trifle

n.

  1. A small quantity

    particle, piece, speck; see bit 1.

  2. A small degree

    jot, eyelash, fraction; see bit 3.

  3. Something of little importance

    triviality, small matter, nothing; see insignificance.

trifle Synonyms

trifle

v.

  1. To act without seriousness

    putter, potter, fribble, dip into, slur over, dawdle, dally, mock, play at, make fun, jest, act silly, loiter, idle about, lounge, fool around, indulge in horseplay, monkey with*, monkey around*, fool with*, fool around*, mess with*, mess around*, doodle*, string along*, futz around*, horse around*; see also change 1, tamper with.

  2. To flirt

    flirt, dally, coquet, toy with, wink at, play with, play around, make advances; see also play, flirt 1.

trifle is the general term meaning to treat someone or something without earnestness, full attention, definite purpose, etc. began to trifle with the notion of retirement, trifling with her affectionsflirt implies a light, transient interest or attention that quickly moves on to another person or thing flirted with several religions before becoming a philosopherdally implies a playing with a subject or thing that one has little or no intention of taking seriously to dally with painting; coquet usually suggests a trifling in matters of love she coquetted with several men in her department; toy implies a trifling or dallying with no purpose beyond that of amusement or idling away time toying with the idea of writing a novel

trifle Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • seem: To a spider the process would seem a trifle hyperactive.
  • compare: All this because of 88 rounds of DU bullets, a trifle compared to the 600,000 pounds of DU in Iraq and Kuwait.
  • feel: Finally, I expect I am not alone in feeling a trifle weary of carol services.
  • look: While I was there a volunteer brought in a large and delicious looking trifle she had prepared.
  • become: The point I am really making is that she was becoming a trifle callous in all her relationships at this time.
  • get: We had thirty seven cars on the grid on Sunday - it got a trifle busy out on the track to say the least!

Adjective modifier

  • unconsidered: In a thousand industries the profits of to-day are wrung from the wastes or unconsidered trifles of yesterday.
  • mere: What he left undone was a mere trifle to what he did.
  • such: Alright, I know - I must have a pretty boring life to get worked up about such trifles!
  • little: Of course, it seems an awfully silly little trifle to talk about.
  • small: Luxuries, our wedding 1944, Gills caterers, small trifles for the wedding breakfast.
  • other: He might feel the tragic irony of it; it might shake his soul, like any other tragic trifle.

Preposition: on

side: We've always found the stylings of the USM series to be a trifle on the odd side.

Modifying Another Word

  • so: Then again, was it so trifling a skirmish to such mighty warriors as to have been forgotten already?
  • very: The quantity sown, is, however, very trifling.
  • not: War without pity or mercy; that the traitors may know that they must not trifle with the sentiment of a people.

Noun used with modifier

  • merest: All this was the merest trifle, the outside of life.
  • sherry: Wine sauces, sherry trifle, etc are forbidden.

Preposition: in

comparison: They are all but trifles in comparison of this.

Modifies a noun

bowl: Now arrange them into a large trifle bowl and make some forks marks in the sponge.

Browse dictionary entries near trifle

  1. ‹ trifid
  2. ‹ trifecta
  3. ‹ trifacial
  4. ‹ triethyl
  5. ‹ Trieste
  6. ‹ trierarchy
  7. ‹ trierarch
  8. ‹ trier
  9. ‹ triennium
  10. ‹ triennial
  1. trifler ›
  2. trifling ›
  3. trifocal ›
  4. trifocals ›
  5. trifoliate ›
  6. trifoliolate ›
  7. trifolium ›
  8. triforium ›
  9. triform ›
  10. trifurcate ›