trifle

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
2. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Anything that is of little importance or worth.
3. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Anything that is of little importance or worth.
4. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) A very small amount (of something).
5. (countable, uncountable) A particular kind of pewter.
6. (uncountable) Utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.
2. (intransitive) To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.
3. (intransitive) To inconsequentially toy with something.
4. (transitive) To squander or waste.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To make a trifle of, to make trivial.

Synonyms

bagatelle

triviality

play

dally

trinket

bauble

toy

knick-knack

trivialities

trivia

bit

piddle

fool

modicum

a little

small beer

frivol

wanton

smallness

wanton away

flirt

😘

chicken-feed

farthing

sport

play with

minor detail

kickshaw

piddle away

waste

jest

thingamajig

toy with

spot

small matter

technicality

pinch

gewgaw

pull someone’s leg

nonsense

littleness

minor

idle talk

nothingness

small

fool around

coot

flimflam

biscuit

feather

🪶

cavil

Translations

Kleinigkeit

bagatelle

bagatela

inezia

bagatel

Bagatelle

babiole

kleinigheid

futiliteit

fotesa

bagatela

bazzecola

bagatella

ninharia

Lappalie

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtɹaɪfəl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: trifle

In summary

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