trifle
1 of 2noun
tri·fle ˈtrī-fəl 
1
: something of little value, substance, or importance
2
: a dessert typically consisting of plain or sponge cake often soaked with wine or spirits (such as brandy or rum) and topped with layers of preserves, custard, and cream
trifle
2 of 2verb
trifled; trifling ˈtrī-f(ə-)liŋ
intransitive verb
1
a
: to treat someone or something as unimportant
b
: to talk in a jesting or mocking manner or with intent to delude or mislead
2
: to handle something idly
transitive verb
: to spend or waste in trifling or on trifles
trifler
ˈtrī-f(ə-)lər
noun 
Synonyms
Noun
- bagatelle
- child's play
- frippery
- nonproblem
- nothing
- picayune
- shuck(s)
- small beer
- small change
- triviality
Verb
- coquet
- coquette
- dally
- flirt
- frivol
- mess around
- toy
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun There's no reason to argue over such trifles. The money is a mere trifle to me. Verb do not trifle with me unless you mean to ask me to marry you spent a lazy afternoon trifling on the front porch
Recent Examples on the Web
Karla Adam, Washington Post, 16 May 2022 Set in the hotel’s historic cobbled courtyard, guests will be treated to English sparkling wine and quintessentially British party bites like quail scotch eggs, game sausage rolls, coronation chicken tarts, plus eton mess and trifle for dessert. Nicole Trilivas, Forbes, 3 May 2022 Use this as a filling for fruit tarts and cream puffs, layered in a trifle, or folded into sliced bananas and vanilla wafers for bakery-worthy banana pudding. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 5 Apr. 2022 Letters to Camondo is evocative and beautifully written but a trifle. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Mar. 2022 Presumably, the couple finalized this legal trifle in order to celebrate the New Year together as buds. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 Dec. 2021 Today’s high-tech information operations make those earlier efforts seem a trifle quaint. Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2022 The trifle will be made with mouthwatering layers of Grand Marnier, chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse and a Do-si-dos crumble crust. Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, 30 Jan. 2022 By contrast, Democrats had spent months before impeaching Trump over his dealings with Ukraine — a trifle compared to January 6. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 13 Feb. 2022 Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2020 But these are trifling compared to the headaches caused by street protests. Max De Haldevang, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2020 But given the attention his company has been getting from the government, the strict confidentiality employees willingly stick to, and the small early demos depicted, Amaya is clearly not to be trifled with. Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, 6 Mar. 2020 The pair enjoy spreading the word about the cook who fed the wranglers and wasn’t one to be trifled with. Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, 15 Feb. 2020 But California’s relatively trifling ceiling can add up quickly for firms with thousands of users. The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019 But over the last week, such worries have come to feel almost trifling, as Mississippi’s state prisons have exploded with gang warfare, riots, disorder and killing. Richard Fausset, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Jan. 2020 Pairing Smith with Fitzgerald Mofor on the outside has proven an effective move and Kris Moll and Noah Wilder’s presence in the middle is one with which not to trifle. Evan Dudley, al, 15 Oct. 2019 The guild has insisted that the solidarity and resolve its members have shown in the agency fight sends a signal to the studios, too, that writers are newly energized and not to be trifled with. Jonathan Handel, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2019 See More
Noun
The winner is a lemon trifle, a sweet goo of Swiss roll, amaretti biscuits, whipped cream and fresh citrus, a quintessential British dessert. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 16 May 2022 Set in the hotel’s historic cobbled courtyard, guests will be treated to English sparkling wine and quintessentially British party bites like quail scotch eggs, game sausage rolls, coronation chicken tarts, plus eton mess and trifle for dessert. Nicole Trilivas, Forbes, 3 May 2022 Use this as a filling for fruit tarts and cream puffs, layered in a trifle, or folded into sliced bananas and vanilla wafers for bakery-worthy banana pudding. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit, 5 Apr. 2022 Letters to Camondo is evocative and beautifully written but a trifle. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Mar. 2022 Presumably, the couple finalized this legal trifle in order to celebrate the New Year together as buds. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 29 Dec. 2021 Today’s high-tech information operations make those earlier efforts seem a trifle quaint. Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2022 The trifle will be made with mouthwatering layers of Grand Marnier, chocolate pudding, peanut butter mousse and a Do-si-dos crumble crust. Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, 30 Jan. 2022 By contrast, Democrats had spent months before impeaching Trump over his dealings with Ukraine — a trifle compared to January 6. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 13 Feb. 2022 Verb
Of course, for the heavily black work force in and around Detroit that can’t retreat to a vacation home, such an inconvenience is trifling by comparison. Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2020 But these are trifling compared to the headaches caused by street protests. Max De Haldevang, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2020 But given the attention his company has been getting from the government, the strict confidentiality employees willingly stick to, and the small early demos depicted, Amaya is clearly not to be trifled with. Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, 6 Mar. 2020 The pair enjoy spreading the word about the cook who fed the wranglers and wasn’t one to be trifled with. Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, 15 Feb. 2020 But California’s relatively trifling ceiling can add up quickly for firms with thousands of users. The Economist, 18 Dec. 2019 But over the last week, such worries have come to feel almost trifling, as Mississippi’s state prisons have exploded with gang warfare, riots, disorder and killing. Richard Fausset, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Jan. 2020 Pairing Smith with Fitzgerald Mofor on the outside has proven an effective move and Kris Moll and Noah Wilder’s presence in the middle is one with which not to trifle. Evan Dudley, al, 15 Oct. 2019 The guild has insisted that the solidarity and resolve its members have shown in the agency fight sends a signal to the studios, too, that writers are newly energized and not to be trifled with. Jonathan Handel, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English trufle, trifle, from Anglo-French trufle, triffle fraud, trick, nonsense
Verb
Middle English truflen, triflen, from Anglo-French trufler to trick, talk nonsense
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1b
Phrases Containing trifle
Kids Definition
trifle 1 of 2
noun
tri·fle ˈtrī-fəl
: something of little value or importance
trifle
2 of 2verb
trifled; trifling
: to treat (someone or something) as unimportant
Robin … was the more muscular of the twins and not to be trifled with. Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising
Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Risingtrifle 1 of 2
noun
as in nothing
something of little importance let us not speak of trifles when our nation may be going to war Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- nothing
- triviality
- bagatelle
- picayune
- frippery
- small beer
- small change
- nonproblem
- shuck(s)
- naught
- child's play
- smoke
- tad
- zero
- bit
- pittance
- fudge
- nothingness
- straw
- peanuts
- piffle
- humbuggery
- bunk
- speck
- nonsense
- mite
- nought
- claptrap
- trivia
- song
- humbug
- two bits
- smidgen
- dram
- smidge
- hogwash
- rot
- fribble
- folly
- crumb
- pinhead
- drivel
- smidgin
- lick
- smidgeon
- scintilla
- ounce
- touch
- shred
- trash
- soupçon
- spot
- dab
- particle
- trace
trifle
2 of 2verb
1
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun do not trifle with me unless you mean to ask me to marry you Synonyms & Similar Words
- flirt
- coquette
- coquet
- toy
- frivol
- dally
- mess around
- court
- razz
- rib
- vamp
- fool
- woo
- mash
- tease
- kid
- lead on
- string along
- put on
- play (with)
- josh
- manipulate
2
as in to play
to spend time in aimless activity spent a lazy afternoon trifling on the front porch Synonyms & Similar Words
- play
- doodle
- loaf
- fribble
- idle
- hang about
- fool around
- goof (around)
- dawdle
- potter (around)
- horse around
- dillydally
- fiddle (around)
- mess around
- kick around
- lounge
- loll
- monkey (around)
- tinker
- dally
- putter (around)
- clown (around)
- diddle (with)
- hang (around or out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- settle (down)
- set (to)
- buckle (down)
- knuckle down
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of trifle are coquet, dally, flirt, and toy. While all these words mean "to deal with or act toward without serious purpose," trifle may imply playfulness, unconcern, indulgent contempt.
to trifle with a lover's feelings
The meanings of coquet and trifle largely overlap; however, coquet implies attracting interest or admiration without serious intention.
companies that coquet with environmentalism solely for public relations
The words dally and trifle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dally suggests indulging in thoughts or plans merely as an amusement.
dallying with the idea of building a boat someday
The words flirt and trifle can be used in similar contexts, but flirt implies an interest or attention that soon passes to another object.
flirted with one fashionable ism after another
Although the words toy and trifle have much in common, toy implies acting without full attention or serious exertion of one's powers.
a political novice toying with great issues