frivolous
characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: frivolous conduct.
self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose.
(of a person) given to trifling or undue levity: a frivolous, empty-headed person.
of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice: a frivolous suggestion.
Origin of frivolous
1Other words for frivolous
Opposites for frivolous
Other words from frivolous
- friv·o·lous·ly, adverb
- friv·o·lous·ness, noun
- un·friv·o·lous, adjective
- un·friv·o·lous·ness, noun
Words that may be confused with frivolous
- frivolity, frivolousness
Words Nearby frivolous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use frivolous in a sentence
Yet space, to many, feels more frivolous, and thus gets hit harder by critics.
Four Civilian Astronauts. Three Days in Orbit. One Giant Leap. Meet the Inspiration4 Crew | Jeffrey Kluger | August 10, 2021 | TimeThe lawyers for the Sandy Hook relatives have asked the judge in the case to rule that the proposed deposition of Clinton would be “unnecessary and frivolous.”
Alex Jones’ Last Ditch Defense in Sandy Hook Lawsuit: Depose Hillary Clinton | Will Sommer | July 23, 2021 | The Daily BeastThese days, AC is starting to sound like a less frivolous choice.
In America’s least air-conditioned cities, brutal heat changes some people’s minds | Marc Fisher, Carissa Wolf, Michael Hingston | July 22, 2021 | Washington PostAt its core, Cusack’s argument is that prosecutor-less prosecutions erode one of the major safeguards that protects people — often but not exclusively homeless people — against frivolous criminal cases.
City Attorney’s Hands-Off Approach to Infractions Means Cops Act as Prosecutors | Jesse Marx | July 19, 2021 | Voice of San DiegoDuring those interviews, the two brothers flitted between frivolous family chatter and serious discussion of coronavirus policy.
Now CNN’s Chris Cuomo has a full-blown scandal on his hands | Erik Wemple | May 20, 2021 | Washington Post
In Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen defends the novel against critics who dismiss it as frivolous and feminine.
The 1996 filing (which you can check out here) was, naturally, as silly and frivolous as the boycott push that came before it.
When the Religious Right Attacked ‘The Little Mermaid’ | Asawin Suebsaeng | November 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMizell called the Justice Department “arrogant” for bringing this frivolous case to the court.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era | Gary May | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“This is silly in its context but serious in its purpose, it is not frivolous,” Pelosi says.
Pelosi to Boehner: I Quashed Impeachment, and So Can You | Eleanor Clift | August 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBlogging is a lifestyle agenda that can pay the bills, it becomes a serious business of frivolous things.
Tavi Gevinson: From Teen Fashion Queen to Broadway Star | Arabelle Sicardi | July 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMany denounce the system of morning calls as silly, frivolous, and a waste of time.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyRomarino paid a little court to her in his frivolous way; but she did not observe it, or, at all events, took no notice of it.
Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange KiellandIf the invention be frivolous or pernicious, the inventor cannot secure for it legal protection.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney BollesI am going to be frivolous, coquette, and imagine myself a girl of the old Southern Set, when there were no new people.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonScarcely anything has been written against the French Academy, except frivolous and insipid pleasantries.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10) | Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
British Dictionary definitions for frivolous
/ (ˈfrɪvələs) /
not serious or sensible in content, attitude, or behaviour; silly: a frivolous remark
unworthy of serious or sensible treatment; unimportant: frivolous details
Origin of frivolous
1Derived forms of frivolous
- frivolously, adverb
- frivolousness or frivolity (frɪˈvɒlɪtɪ), noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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