trifle
Other forms: trifles; trifled
A trifle is something that's totally unimportant. If your friend is freaking out over which poster to buy and you call her dilemma a trifle, you're saying she shouldn't get so worked up over nothing.
Trifle comes from the Middle English trufle, meaning "fraud, joke, trick." You'll usually hear it used to mean "insignificant, trivial." If you write a little ditty to sing at a birthday party, you could say it's just a trifle. As a verb, trifle means "toy with, waste." If you play with someone's feelings without seriously meaning anything, you are trifling with his affection. Trifle is also a sweet, sticky cake. Don't trifle the day away dreaming about trifle. Make some!
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a detail that is considered insignificantsynonyms: technicality, triviality
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something of small importancesynonyms: small beer, trivia, triviality
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a slight but appreciable amount
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consider not very seriously
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act frivolously
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waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficientlysynonyms: piddle, piddle away, wanton, wanton away
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a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolatetypes:tipsy cakea trifle soaked in wine and decorated with almonds and candied fruit
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Vocabulary lists containing trifle
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