frivolity

F4R1I1V4O1L1I1T1Y4
UK/fɹɪˈvɒlɪti/US/fɹɪˈvɑlɪti/

noun

frivolous act

Opposite
UncommonScrabble 18

Meanings

nounfrivolity (countable and uncountable, plural frivolities)

plural frivolities

  1. countableuncountablefrivolous act
  2. countableuncountablestate of being frivolous
    2 more examples

    The sight of their own blood in the white snow may even have been what provided the jolt to transform them from playful children recklessly delighting in the surprise of an unseasonable snowfall into a whooping army of mutineers urged on by a tiny cadre of seditious underclassmen to turn their rambunctious frivolity into stunning mischief and, with an outburst of everything untamed in them (despite regular attendance at chapel), to tumble and roll and skid down the Hill through the deep snow and commence a stupendous night out.

    2008, Philip Roth, Indignation

    “Look at this festive assembly. All of us, gathered here together, chuckling at jokes and silliness.” [laughter] “And jackanapery.” [rim shots] “I guess there's only one thing left to say. What is this shit?” [rim shot] [laughter] “[laughs] Very good.” “You call yourselves vampires? Bah. This entire evening has been nothing but a pageant of insipid nonsense.” “[laughing] Yes.” “Worshipping at the altar of your own mediocre frivolity. A jester's hollow dance. And who is laughing?” “Yeah! [whoops] [grunts]” “Vampires are supposed to have blood orgies and slaughter circles. Gah! You have all gone soft. You even invited humans to this asinine affair.”

    2023 August 24, Sarah Naftalis & Lauren Wells, “The Roast” (8:36 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 5, episode 8, spoken by Baron Afanas (Doug Jones)

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe trait of being frivolous; not serious or sensible

Opposite
Broader

nounsomething of little value or significance

nounacting like a clown or buffoon

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchfrivolité
  2. Frenchfrivolité
  3. Englishfrivolity

Borrowed from French frivolité.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خِفَّة, رُعُونَة
  • خِفَّة (ḵiffa)state of being frivolous
  • رُعُونَة (ruʕūna)state of being frivolous
  • طَيْش (ṭayš)state of being frivolous
Bulgarian лекомислена постъпка, лекомислие
  • лекомислена постъпка (lekomislena postăpka)frivolous act
  • лекомислие (lekomislie)state of being frivolous
Catalan frivolitat
  • frivolitatfrivolous act
Czech lehkomyslnost, lehkovážnost
  • lehkomyslnoststate of being frivolous
  • lehkovážnoststate of being frivolous
Dutch frivoliteit
  • frivoliteitfrivolous act
Esperanto frivolo, frivolo
  • frivolofrivolous act
  • frivolostate of being frivolous
  • frivolecostate of being frivolous
Finnish kevytmielisyys, turhamaisuus
  • kevytmielisyysfrivolous act
  • turhamaisuusfrivolous act
  • turhanpäiväisyysstate of being frivolous
French frivolité, frivolité
  • frivolitéfrivolous act
  • frivolitéstate of being frivolous
German Frivolität, Frivolität
  • Frivolitätfrivolous act
  • Frivolitätstate of being frivolous
  • Leichtfertigkeitstate of being frivolous
Greek ελαφρότητα, ελαφρότητα
  • ελαφρότητα (elafrótita)frivolous act
  • ελαφρότητα (elafrótita)state of being frivolous
  • κουφότητα (koufótita)state of being frivolous
Italian frivolezza
  • frivolezzafrivolous act
Latin levitās
  • levitāsstate of being frivolous
Portuguese frivolidade
  • frivolidadefrivolous act
Russian фриво́льность
  • фриво́льность (frivólʹnostʹ)frivolous act
Spanish frivolidad
  • frivolidadfrivolous act
Turkish hoppalık, hoppalık
  • hoppalıkfrivolous act
  • hoppalıkstate of being frivolous
Cite this entry
APA

frivolity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frivolity

MLA

“frivolity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frivolity. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frivolity,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frivolity.

Source: frivolity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.