Dictionary

trifle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹaɪfəl/
• (General-American) audio
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
   • It is interesting to watch the surface joviality on screen while racism is layered between courses like soggy trifles. 2020 May 27, Kieran Yates, “Fifteen years of TV dinners: why Come Dine With Me has endured”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
2. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Anything that is of little importance or worth.
   • Olde Chaucer doth of Topas tell, / Mad Rablais of Pantagruell, / A latter third of Dowsabell, / With such poore trifles playing: 1627, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “Nimphidia. The Court of Fayrie.”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for William Lee, […], →OCLC:
   • [W]hen they had the Character and Honour of a VVoman at their Mercy, often times made it their Jest, and at least look’d upon it as a Trifle, and counted the Ruin of thoſe, they had had their VVill of, as a thing of no value. 1722 (indicated as 1721), [Daniel Defoe], The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. […], London: […] W[illiam Rufus] Chetwood, […]; and T. Edling, […], published 1722, →OCLC, page 34:
   • Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmation strong / As proofs of holy writ. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
   • ‘And all about a rattle!’ said Alice, still hoping to make them a little ashamed of fighting for such a trifle. 1871 December 27 (indicated as 1872), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC:
3. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Anything that is of little importance or worth. ▸ An insignificant amount of money.
   • He told her of horses which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums […] 1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:
   • What’s eighty dollars? A trifle. An insignificant sum. 1899 September – 1900 July, Joseph Conrad, chapter XXX, in Lord Jim: A Tale, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1900, →OCLC, page 311:
   • “It was bad of me then not to send the fifteen hundred dollars. I assumed it would be a trifle.” / “Well, until a few months ago it was a trifle.” 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 462:
   • A trifle, some eight-penny matter. c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
4. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A very small amount (of something).
   • There was a good deal of rustling and whispering behind the curtain, a trifle of lamp smoke, and an occasional giggle from Amy […] 1868, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, chapter 2, in Little Women: […], 1st part, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, published 1869, →OCLC:
   • “Take just a trifle of French mustard […]” 1932, Graham Greene, Stamboul Strain, London: Heinemann, Part 4, p. 180:
   • This Line leaves out […] Poplar and Black-vvall, vvhich are indeed contiguous, a Trifle of Ground excepted, and very populous. 1742, [Daniel Defoe], “Letter II. Containing A Description of the City of London.”, in A Tour thro’ the Whole Island of Great Britain. […], 3rd edition, volume II, London: […] J[ohn] Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 90:
5. (countable, uncountable) A particular kind of pewter.
6. (uncountable) Utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.

Forms

Coordinates

tiramisu · low-quality thing · trash · bread pudding · cheap thing

Deriveds

piffle · Black Forest trifle · a trifle

Holonyms

junk · small potatoes · tat · gubbins

Hypernyms

artifact · object

Hyponyms

freebie · trinket · small change

Relateds

modicum · easy thing

Synonyms

tuppence worth · toy · smattering · bag of shells · bric-a-brac · flyspeck · fico · triviality · tinge · white chip · mite · flamfew · molecule · glint · dicky · morceau · tittle · smitch · bit · scruple · jot · whiffle · niff-naff · glimpse · vestige · skosh · semblance · trace · flyspeck · mote · dash · speckle · speck · hooter · pennyworth · scantling · tad · dot · sop · scintilla · tidbit · sliver · lick · ounce · scuddick · minuity · fleck · sprinkling · piece · shred · spot · grain · trick · hoot · scent · dab · particle · spark · inch · smidgen · sprinkle · iota · smidget · scooch · damn · dicky-bird · scrap · crumb · whit · diddly · thought · picayune · drop · strain · halfpennyworth · smithereen · dusting · fig · soupçon · ooch · atom · ace · modicum · smidge · smidgy · hint · trifle · smidgen · glimmer · relish · morsel · bissel · aught · tidge · flip · skerrick · spatter · pinch · atomy · bagatelle · ticky-tack · touch · trifle · skoosh · continental · toddick · whiff

Translations (130)

sv bagatell (thing of little importance or worth) · ota پارچه (insignificant amount) · ca fotesa (thing of little importance or worth) · cs drobnost (thing of little importance or worth) · pt ninharia (insignificant amount) · mi taraiwhara (dessert) · mi takutakunga (thing of little importance or worth) · ru ме́лочь (thing of little importance or worth) · af koekstruif (dessert) · gl parvada (thing of little importance or worth) · da bagatel (thing of little importance or worth) · ru бискви́т (dessert) · cy melysgybolfa (dessert) · sv struntsak (thing of little importance or worth) · fi trifle (dessert) · it bagattella (insignificant amount) · sv hårsmån (insignificant amount) · sh трича̀рија (thing of little importance or worth) · eo bagatelo (thing of little importance or worth) · la tittibilīcium (thing of little importance or worth) · lb Klengegkeet (thing of little importance or worth) · fr broutille (insignificant amount) · la apinae (thing of little importance or worth) · mi takunga (thing of little importance or worth) · es zarandaja (thing of little importance or worth) · mk дребулија (thing of little importance or worth) · nl onbelangrijke hoeveelheid (insignificant amount) · cs kapánek (insignificant amount) · it un po' (insignificant amount) · de Kleinigkeit (insignificant amount) · cs špetka (insignificant amount) · sv småsak (thing of little importance or worth) · sv trifle (dessert) · es friolera (thing of little importance or worth) · mi kanehe (insignificant amount) · pl bagatela (thing of little importance or worth) · es pequeñez (thing of little importance or worth) · gl insignificancia (thing of little importance or worth) · es menudencia (thing of little importance or worth) · nn småting (thing of little importance or worth) · ru копе́йки (insignificant amount) · et natuke (insignificant amount) · bg дреболия (insignificant amount) · de Kleinigkeit (thing of little importance or worth) · es nadería (thing of little importance or worth) · pl błahostka (thing of little importance or worth) · ca fotesa (insignificant amount) · sv struntsumma (insignificant amount) · es nimiedad (thing of little importance or worth) · it briciola (insignificant amount) · it zuppa inglese (dessert) · pl drobiazg (thing of little importance or worth) · sh tričàrija (thing of little importance or worth) · ru небольша́я су́мма (insignificant amount) · vi trifle (dessert) · fr bricole (thing of little importance or worth) · pt ninharia (thing of little importance or worth) · es pizca (insignificant amount) · ko 트라이플 (dessert) · de ein bisschen (insignificant amount) · pt trifle (dessert) · nl een beetje (insignificant amount) · fr babiole (thing of little importance or worth) · sh ситнѝца (insignificant amount) · fi rahtunen (insignificant amount) · fi ripaus (insignificant amount) · it cosa da poco (thing of little importance or worth) · et pisut (insignificant amount) · ota آوج (insignificant amount) · fr bagatelle (dessert) · th ทรัยเฟิล (dessert) · mi kāmuimui (thing of little importance or worth) · nl puddingtaart (dessert) · fi pikkuasia (thing of little importance or worth) · cs trocha (insignificant amount) · af kleinigheid (insignificant amount) · gl miga (insignificant amount) · de Trifle (dessert) · fr broutille (thing of little importance or worth) · fi hitunen (insignificant amount) · ru безде́лица (thing of little importance or worth) · es quisquilla (thing of little importance or worth) · fi hippunen (insignificant amount) · nl bagatel (thing of little importance or worth) · ru пустя́к (thing of little importance or worth) · sh bìskvīt (dessert) · pl fraszka (thing of little importance or worth) · mi kanehe (thing of little importance or worth) · et vähe (insignificant amount) · nb småting (thing of little importance or worth) · pl betka (thing of little importance or worth) · ga traidhfil (insignificant amount) · pt bugiganga (thing of little importance or worth) · es sopa inglesa (dessert) · gl balda (thing of little importance or worth) · cs maličkost (thing of little importance or worth) · ga traidhfil (dessert) · la naucum (thing of little importance or worth) · ga réadán (thing of little importance or worth) · ja トライフル (dessert) · ro mărunțiș (thing of little importance or worth) · de ein wenig (insignificant amount) · et veidi (insignificant amount) · it peltro (kind of pewter) · ru безделу́шка (thing of little importance or worth) · it un tantino (insignificant amount) · da småting (thing of little importance or worth) · fr vétille (insignificant amount) · nl zever (thing of little importance or worth) · sh бѝсквӣт (dessert) · cy treiffl (dessert) · nl aalmoes (insignificant amount) · gl bagatela (thing of little importance or worth) · ca galindaina (thing of little importance or worth) · fi pikkujuttu (thing of little importance or worth) · fi hiukkanen (insignificant amount) · pl bzdet (thing of little importance or worth) · af kleinigheid (thing of little importance or worth) · it inezia (thing of little importance or worth) · cs hloupost (thing of little importance or worth) · ru небольшо́е коли́чество (insignificant amount) · cs piškotový moučník (dessert) · la nugae (thing of little importance or worth) · bg дреболия (thing of little importance or worth) · la gerrae (thing of little importance or worth) · sk maličkosť (thing of little importance or worth) · cmn 乳脂松糕 (dessert) · sh sitnìca (insignificant amount) · it bagattella (thing of little importance or worth) · ba ваҡ-төйәк (thing of little importance or worth)

trifle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹaɪfəl/
• (General-American) audio
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.
   • […] Do not believe / That, from the sense of all civility, / I thus would play and trifle with your reverence: c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
   • You must not trifle with her affections.
   • “Miss Bennet,” replied her ladyship, in an angry tone, “you ought to know, that I am not to be trifled with […]” 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 56, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
   • But a Judge may not trifle with the Law because the society is defective. 1948, Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country, Penguin, published 1958, Book 2, Chapter 11, p. 171:
2. (intransitive) To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.
   • But he was terribly roused too and bound to go on; he wasn’t just trifling but intended something. 1953 September 18, Saul Bellow, chapter XIX, in The Adventures of Augie March […], New York, N.Y.: The Viking Press, →OCLC, page 405:
   • […] playing and trifling are completely banished out of my mind […] 1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], chapter 27, in Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:
3. (intransitive) To inconsequentially toy with something.
   • Mr. Micawber, leaning back in his chair, trifled with his eye-glass and cast his eyes up at the ceiling […] 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, chapter 28, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC:
   • She sat in a café, trifling with her coffee spoon. 1965, Muriel Spark, The Mandelbaum Gate, New York: Fawcett, published 1967, Part 1, Chapter 6, p. 151:
4. (transitive) To squander or waste.
   • For an honest and sober man will rather make that woman his wife, whom he seeth employed continually about her business, than one who makes it her business to trifle away her own and others time. 1677, Hannah Woolley, The Compleat Servant-Maid, London: T. Passinger, page 62:
   • As it was, he did nothing with much zeal, but sport; and his time was otherwise trifled away, without benefit from books or anything else. 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter VI, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:
   • We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence. c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
   • You who have known neither sorrow nor pleasure; who have trifled your life away! 1925, Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, published 1985, page 189:
5. (obsolete, transitive) To make a trifle of, to make trivial.
   • […] but this sore night / Hath trifled former knowings. c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:

Forms

Deriveds

trifle with · trifler

Synonyms

wanton (squander) · fritter (squander) · fiddle (toy with)

Translations (47)

ru тра́тить (To squander or waste) · sh тратити (To squander or waste) · de leichtfertig umgehen (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · sv slösa bort (To squander or waste) · ru растра́чивать (To squander or waste) · bg играя си (To inconsequentially toy with something) · da lege med (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · sh tratiti (To squander or waste) · ru шути́ть (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · sv leka med (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · nl verspillen (To squander or waste) · sv förslösa (To squander or waste) · es tratar a la ligera (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · de nachlässig umgehen (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · nl grollen (To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest) · fi leikkiä (To inconsequentially toy with something) · ru игра́ть (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · nl tollen (To inconsequentially toy with something) · nl grappen (To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest) · ru не принима́ть всерьёз (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · cs zahrávat si (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · sv ringakta (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · ru тереби́ть (To inconsequentially toy with something) · fr déconner (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · fi leikitellä (To inconsequentially toy with something) · fi vitsailla (To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest) · fi väheksyä (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · fr jouer (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · ru расточа́ть (To squander or waste) · cs pohrávat si (To inconsequentially toy with something) · ht betize (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · cs zahrávat si (To inconsequentially toy with something) · tr umursamamak (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · da sløse væk (To squander or waste) · bg пропилявам (To squander or waste) · nl lichtvaardig handelen (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · cs žertovat (To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest) · ru прика́лываться (To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest) · bg прахосвам (To squander or waste) · kw trufla (To inconsequentially toy with something) · fi pilailla (To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest) · de herumspielen (To inconsequentially toy with something) · ru разбаза́ривать (To squander or waste) · ur ناچیزشے (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth) · de vergeuden (To squander or waste) · de verschwenden (To squander or waste) · fr niaiser (To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth)