English Dictionary

Definition of “trifle”

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trifle (ˈtraɪfəllPronunciation for trifle) 

Definitions

noun

  1. a thing of little or no value or significance
  2. a small amount; bit  ⇒ a trifle more enthusiasm 
  3. 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
  4. a type of pewter of medium hardness
  5. articles made from this pewter

verb

  1. (intr)  usually foll by with to deal (with) as if worthless; dally  ⇒ to trifle with a person's affections 
  2. to waste (time) frivolously

Alternative Forms

ˈtrifler noun

Word Origin

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

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= knick-knack, nothing, toy, plaything, bauble, triviality, bagatelle, gewgaw,
= unimportant matter or thing trivia, technicality, minutiae,
= very small amount pittance, piddling amount peanuts,

Quotations

  • "a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles" William Shakespeare

Translations

  • British English: trifle Pronunciation for trifle Trifles are things that are not considered important.She always took people's problems seriously, even when they were trifles and easily solved.ˈtraɪfl NOUN She always took people's problems seriously, even when they were trifles and easily solved.
  • Spanish: minucia Pronunciation for minucia nf
  • French: broutille Pronunciation for broutille nf
  • German: Kleinigkeit Pronunciation for Kleinigkeit nf
  • Chinese: 琐事Pronunciation for 琐事 n
  • Arabic: تَافِهPronunciation for تَافِه n
  • Portuguese: bagatelaPronunciation for bagatela nf
  • Russian: пустякPronunciation for пустяк nm
  • Croatian: sitnicaPronunciation for sitnica nf
  • Czech: maličkostPronunciation for maličkost nf
  • Danish: bagatelPronunciation for bagatel nutr
  • Dutch: kleinigheidPronunciation for kleinigheid nf
  • Finnish: pikkuseikkaPronunciation for pikkuseikka n
  • Greek: ψιλοπράγμαPronunciation for ψιλοπράγμα nnt
  • Italian: zuppa inglesePronunciation for zuppa inglese nf
  • Japanese: つまらないものPronunciation for つまらないもの n
  • Korean: 시시한 것Pronunciation for 시시한 것 n
  • Norwegian: bagatellPronunciation for bagatell nm
  • Polish: drobnostkaPronunciation for drobnostka nf
  • Brazilian Portuguese: bagatelaPronunciation for bagatela nf
  • European Spanish: bagatela Pronunciation for bagatela nf
  • Swedish: bagatellPronunciation for bagatell nutr
  • Thai: เรื่องเล็กๆน้อยๆPronunciation for เรื่องเล็กๆน้อยๆ n
  • Turkish: önemsiz şeyPronunciation for önemsiz şey n
  • Vietnamese: đồ lặt vặtPronunciation for đồ lặt vặt n

Usage examples

  • She was quiet and a trifle superior, and she had Bleeding Heart written all over her.
    Kippax, Frank, The Scar (1990)
  • In a year when everything happened a trifle too fast, Tendulkar happened at exactly the pace we dreamt of.
    India Today (1999)
  • I asked Janet if she fancied a plate of English trifle and coffee.
    Ottawa Sun (2003)
  • THE fall of the Roman empire seems a mere trifle compared with the fall from grace of Michael Barrymore.
    Sun, News of the World (2002)
  • He uses both hands to scoop aside the trifle in a vain attempt to locate the duck he is certain must be underneath.
    Pearson, Althea, Growing Through Loss and Grief (1994)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'T'

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