trifle

[ trahy-fuhl ]

/ ˈtraɪ fəl /

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See synonyms for: trifle / trifled / trifling / trifler on Thesaurus.com

noun

an article or thing of very little value.

a matter, affair, or circumstance of trivial importance or significance.

a small, inconsiderable, or trifling sum of money.

a small quantity or amount of anything; a little: She's still a trifle angry.

a literary, musical, or artistic work of a light or trivial character having no great or lasting merit; bagatelle.

a kind of pewter of medium hardness.

trifles, articles made of this.

English Cooking. a dessert usually consisting of custard and cake soaked in wine or liqueur, and jam, fruit, or the like.

verb (used without object), tri·fled, tri·fling.

to deal lightly or without due seriousness or respect: Don't trifle with me!

to play or toy by handling or fingering: He sat trifling with a pen.

to act or talk in an idle or frivolous way.

to pass time idly or frivolously; waste time; idle.

verb (used with object), tri·fled, tri·fling.

to pass or spend (time) idly or frivolously (usually followed by away).

OTHER WORDS FOR trifle

1 bauble, toy.

13 fritter.

See synonyms for trifle on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

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Origin of trifle

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English tru(f)fle idle talk, deceit <Old French, variant of truf(f)e mockery, deceit; (v.) Middle English treoflen to mock <Old French trufler to make sport of

OTHER WORDS FROM trifle

trifler, noun

Words nearby trifle

trifacial neuralgia, trifecta, triffid, trifid, trifid foot, trifle, trifling, trifluoperazine, trifluoride, trifluorochloromethane, trifluralin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use trifle in a sentence

I know how to make her cassata cake and trifle, but the artichokes seemed so simple I never really dug in deep on this one.
How to prep, cook and enjoy stuffed artichokes|Ann Maloney|March 11, 2021|Washington Post
If you read the obituaries of Richard Nixon, you would have thought Watergate a mere trifle.
Joe Paterno’s Death Shouldn’t Turn Him Into Sandusky Case’s Martyr|Buzz Bissinger|January 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He also has hit clutch shots down the stretch (never mind that little trifle I wrote about pressure).
The Vindication of LeBron James|Buzz Bissinger|June 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
This list will also likely include petit fours, mini éclairs, trifle, and chocolate and lemon mousse.
Royal Wedding Plans So Far for Prince William|Barbie Latza Nadeau, Jacqueline Williams|February 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

It should be soft and light enough to spread easily over the top of the trifle in a not-too-thick layer.
Ham, Green Bean Casserole, Easy Trifle|The Daily Beast|December 23, 2008|DAILY BEAST
His nose was hooked and rather large, his eyes were blue, bright as steel, and set a trifle wide.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
The tiny frown reappeared between her eyes, lingered a trifle longer than before, and vanished.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The lady in black, creeping behind them, looked a trifle paler and more jaded than usual.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Everywhere cattle were being sold for a trifle, as there was no grass upon which they could feed.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Edna was a trifle embarrassed at being thus signaled out for the imperious little woman's favor.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for trifle

trifle

/ (ˈtraɪfəl) /

noun

a thing of little or no value or significance

a small amount; bita trifle more enthusiasm

British a cold dessert made with sponge cake spread with jam or fruit, soaked in wine or sherry, covered with a custard sauce and cream, and decorated

a type of pewter of medium hardness

articles made from this pewter

verb

(intr usually foll by with) to deal (with) as if worthless; dallyto trifle with a person's affections

to waste (time) frivolously

Derived forms of trifle

trifler, noun

Word Origin for trifle

C13: from Old French trufle mockery, from trufler to cheat

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

trifle

OTHER WORDS FOR trifle

Origin of trifle

OTHER WORDS FROM trifle

Words nearby trifle

Words related to trifle

How to use trifle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for trifle

Derived forms of trifle

Word Origin for trifle