trifle Definition
- 1a thing of little value or importance
- 2a cold dessert made of sponge cake and fruit covered with layers of custard, jelly, and cream
Using trifle: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "trifle" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The amount of money involved was a mere trifle.
Example
She dismissed his concerns as trifles.
Example
I made a trifle for dessert last night.
Example
The recipe calls for a layer of fruit at the bottom of the trifle.
trifle Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with trifle
Example
He made light of her concerns, dismissing them as trifles.
Example
She spent the afternoon trifling away on social media instead of working on her project.
Example
The new CEO is not to be trifled with; she has a reputation for being tough and uncompromising.
Origins of trifle
from Old French 'trufle', meaning 'mockery'
Summary: trifle in Brief
The term 'trifle' [ˈtraɪfəl] can refer to something of little value or importance, such as 'The amount of money involved was a mere trifle.' It can also refer to a cold dessert made of sponge cake and fruit, exemplified by 'I made a trifle for dessert last night.' The phrase 'make light of something' means to treat something as unimportant, while 'not to be trifled with' means to be a person or thing that should not be underestimated.
