1
as in minor
lacking importance
deciding what you want to do for a living is no trifling matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
trifling differences between the theatrical and DVD versions of the movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flirting
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
do not trifle with me unless you mean to ask me to marry you
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in playing
to spend time in aimless activity
spent a lazy afternoon trifling on the front porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trifling
Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025
Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Aside from bacteria, the smallest genome belongs to the intestinal parasite Encephalitozoon intestinalis, with a trifling 2.3 billion base pairs.
—Kirsten Weir, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2011
With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2010
Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia, which has more atomic weapons than any other country in the world, could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025
Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Aside from bacteria, the smallest genome belongs to the intestinal parasite Encephalitozoon intestinalis, with a trifling 2.3 billion base pairs.
—Kirsten Weir, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2011
With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2010
Verb
But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trifling
Adjective
-
Russell’s crash in 2023 showed that a minor mistake can wipe you off the podium.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
In susceptible people, the immune system reacts too strongly to minor exposures, creating chronic inflammation.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
They are made of cotton with a slight stretch, but still have structure in the front.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Herro was an All-Star last year while Ball wasn’t; Herro’s injury gives the Hornets a slight edge in these rankings.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Politicians have started flirting with the idea as well.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Hunt has been openly flirting with the possibility of running for Senate for months, rolling out a number of statewide ads.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Its return is part of the 2026 Banana Ball World Tour and the launch of the Banana Ball Championship League, with all six league teams playing a 60-game schedule culminating in the Banana Bowl Championship next October.—
Shane Connuck
October 9,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Oct. 2025
-
After close to two decades had been spent playing professional football, mainly in the EFL, there was no clarity on what would come next when retirement came to his door.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
By a rough count, Flagg played in approximately six different lineups, including some small-ball looks with Dwight Powell at center.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Oct. 2025
-
While there is acknowledgement that smaller teams, such as Norway’s Valarenga, could be on the receiving end of heavy defeats with the shift in format, the benefits of seeing top seeds clash early in the competition mean more overall interest.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There's a low nominal cost, but the fact is there was a really significant cost because of the bureaucracy and time and uncertainty, with a lot of companies tied up with it.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But analysts believe that figure was nominal if anything.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny has commented little, save for an SNL monologue poking fun at the situation.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
-
After Texas produced little in the run game at Florida, Wisner proved elusive, dodging and breaking tackles to produce chunk plays and keep Texas moving down the field.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trifling. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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