Meanings
plural trifles
- countableuncountablecookingAn 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 - countablefigurativelyuncountableAnything that is of little importance or worth.
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]3 more examples
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‘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- countablefigurativelyuncountableAn insignificant amount of money.
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]3 more examples
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), →OCLCWhat’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
- countablefigurativelyuncountableA very small amount (of something).
“Take just a trifle of French mustard […]”
1932, Graham Greene, Stamboul Strain, London: Heinemann, Part 4, p. 1802 more examples
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 90There 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, →OCLCSynonyms: smidgen, ace, atom, thought, atomy, aught, bissel, continental
- countableuncountableA particular kind of pewter.
- uncountableUtensils made from this particular kind of pewter.
present singular third person trifles · participle present trifling · participle past trifled · past trifled
- intransitiveTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.
You must not trifle with her affections.
3 more examples
[…] 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]“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, […], →OCLCBut 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 - intransitiveTo act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.
[…] 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, […], →OCLC1 more example
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 - intransitiveTo inconsequentially toy with something.
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. 1511 more example
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, →OCLCSynonyms: fiddle
- transitiveTo squander or waste.
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]3 more examples
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 62As 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), →OCLCYou 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 - obsoletetransitiveTo 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]
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA very small amount (of something).
verbTo inconsequentially toy with something.
More synonyms by meaning
verbwaste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchtrufle“mockery”
- Middle Englishtrifle
- Englishtrifle
From Middle English trifle, trifel, triful, trefle, truyfle, trufful, from Old French trufle (“mockery”), a byform of trufe, truffe (“deception”), of uncertain origin.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans koekstruif, kleinigheid
- koekstruifdessert
- kleinigheidinsignificant amount
- kleinigheidthing of little importance or worth
Bulgarian дреболия, дреболия
- дреболия (drebolija)insignificant amount
- дреболия (drebolija)thing of little importance or worth
- играя си (igraja si)To inconsequentially toy with something
- прахосвам (prahosvam)To squander or waste
- пропилявам (propiljavam)To squander or waste
Catalan fotesa, fotesa
- fotesainsignificant amount
- fotesathing of little importance or worth
- galindainathing of little importance or worth
Chinese Mandarin 乳脂松糕
- 乳脂松糕 (rǔzhī sōnggāo)dessert
Czech piškotový moučník, trocha
- piškotový moučníkdessert
- trochainsignificant amount
- kapánekinsignificant amount
- špetkainsignificant amount
- maličkostthing of little importance or worth
- drobnostthing of little importance or worth
- hloupostthing of little importance or worth
- zahrávat siTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- žertovatTo act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest
- zahrávat siTo inconsequentially toy with something
- pohrávat siTo inconsequentially toy with something
Danish småting, bagatel
- småtingthing of little importance or worth
- bagatelthing of little importance or worth
- lege medTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- sløse vækTo squander or waste
Dutch puddingtaart, onbelangrijke hoeveelheid
- puddingtaartdessert
- onbelangrijke hoeveelheidinsignificant amount
- aalmoesinsignificant amount
- een beetjeinsignificant amount
- bagatelthing of little importance or worth
- zeverthing of little importance or worth
- prulthing of little importance or worth
- lichtvaardig handelenTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- grappenTo act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest
- grollenTo act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest
- tollenTo inconsequentially toy with something
- verspillenTo squander or waste
Esperanto bagatelo
- bagatelothing of little importance or worth
Estonian natuke, vähe
- natukeinsignificant amount
- väheinsignificant amount
- pisutinsignificant amount
- veidiinsignificant amount
Finnish trifle, hitunen
- trifledessert
- hituneninsignificant amount
- hiukkaneninsignificant amount
- rahtuneninsignificant amount
- ripausinsignificant amount
- hippuneninsignificant amount
- pikkuasiathing of little importance or worth
- pikkujuttuthing of little importance or worth
- väheksyäTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- pilaillaTo act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest
- vitsaillaTo act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest
- leikkiäTo inconsequentially toy with something
- leikitelläTo inconsequentially toy with something
French bagatelle, broutille
- bagatelledessert
- broutilleinsignificant amount
- vétilleinsignificant amount
- babiolething of little importance or worth
- bricolething of little importance or worth
- broutillething of little importance or worth
- déconnerTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- niaiserTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- jouerTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
German Trifle, Kleinigkeit
- Trifledessert
- Kleinigkeitinsignificant amount
- ein bisscheninsignificant amount
- ein weniginsignificant amount
- Kleinigkeitthing of little importance or worth
- leichtfertig umgehenTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- nachlässig umgehenTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- herumspielenTo inconsequentially toy with something
- vergeudenTo squander or waste
- verschwendenTo squander or waste
Irish traidhfil, traidhfil
- traidhfildessert
- traidhfilinsignificant amount
- réadánthing of little importance or worth
Italian zuppa inglese, un tantino
- zuppa inglesedessert
- un tantinoinsignificant amount
- un po'insignificant amount
- bagattellainsignificant amount
- briciolainsignificant amount
- peltrokind of pewter
- cosa da pocothing of little importance or worth
- ineziathing of little importance or worth
- bagattellathing of little importance or worth
Japanese トライフル
- トライフル (toraifuru)dessert
Korean 트라이플
- 트라이플 (teuraipeul)dessert
Latin gerrae, naucum
- gerraething of little importance or worth
- naucumthing of little importance or worth
- tittibilīciumthing of little importance or worth
- apinaething of little importance or worth
- nugaething of little importance or worth
Māori taraiwhara, kanehe
- taraiwharadessert
- kaneheinsignificant amount
- takungathing of little importance or worth
- takutakungathing of little importance or worth
- kanehething of little importance or worth
- kāmuimuithing of little importance or worth
Norwegian Bokmål småting
- småtingthing of little importance or worth
Polish fraszka, drobiazg
- fraszkathing of little importance or worth
- drobiazgthing of little importance or worth
- błahostkathing of little importance or worth
- bzdetthing of little importance or worth
- bagatelathing of little importance or worth
- betkathing of little importance or worth
Portuguese trifle, ninharia
- trifledessert
- ninhariainsignificant amount
- ninhariathing of little importance or worth
- bugigangathing of little importance or worth
Romanian mărunțiș
- mărunțișthing of little importance or worth
Russian бискви́т, небольшо́е коли́чество
- бискви́т (biskvít)dessert
- небольшо́е коли́чество (nebolʹšóje kolíčestvo)insignificant amount
- небольша́я су́мма (nebolʹšája súmma)insignificant amount
- копе́йки (kopéjki)insignificant amount
- безделу́шка (bezdelúška)thing of little importance or worth
- безде́лица (bezdélica)thing of little importance or worth
- пустя́к (pustják)thing of little importance or worth
- ме́лочь (méločʹ)thing of little importance or worth
- игра́ть (igrátʹ)To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- шути́ть (šutítʹ)To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- не принима́ть всерьёз (ne prinimátʹ vserʹjóz)To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- прика́лываться (prikályvatʹsja)To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest
- тереби́ть (terebítʹ)To inconsequentially toy with something
- тра́тить (trátitʹ)To squander or waste
- растра́чивать (rastráčivatʹ)To squander or waste
- расточа́ть (rastočátʹ)To squander or waste
- разбаза́ривать (razbazárivatʹ)To squander or waste
Slovak maličkosť
- maličkosťthing of little importance or worth
Spanish sopa inglesa, pizca
- sopa inglesadessert
- pizcainsignificant amount
- naderíathing of little importance or worth
- nimiedadthing of little importance or worth
- zarandajathing of little importance or worth
- friolerathing of little importance or worth
- menudenciathing of little importance or worth
- quisquillathing of little importance or worth
- pequeñezthing of little importance or worth
- tratar a la ligeraTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
Swedish trifle, hårsmån
- trifledessert
- hårsmåninsignificant amount
- struntsummainsignificant amount
- bagatellthing of little importance or worth
- småsakthing of little importance or worth
- struntsakthing of little importance or worth
- leka medTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- ringaktaTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
- förslösaTo squander or waste
- slösa bortTo squander or waste
Thai ทรัยเฟิล
- ทรัยเฟิล (thrạyfeil)dessert
Turkish umursamamak
- umursamamakTo deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
Urdu ناچیزشے
- ناچیزشے (Nachíz she)To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth
Vietnamese trifle
- trifledessert
Welsh treiffl, melysgybolfa
- treiffldessert
- melysgybolfadessert
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with trifle
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
trifle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trifle
“trifle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trifle. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trifle,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trifle.
Source: trifle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.