frivolous

adjective

ˈfri-və-ləs How to pronounce frivolous (audio)
Definition of frivolousnext
1
as in minor
lacking importance judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
lacking in seriousness or maturity when asked by the waiter if we wanted anything else that evening, we made a frivolous request for free drinks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frivolous You could be tempted to dismiss a creative venture or categorize a social invite as frivolous, all because there are more productive things to do. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026 Credit as a coping mechanism - Rossman pushes back on the idea that Gen Z debt comes from frivolous spending. — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence in a Texas federal prison camp, had argued she was selectively prosecuted as a scapegoat, but the judge dismissed those claims as frivolous. — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 In the tumultuous, post-COVID global landscape, there’s something fundamentally frivolous about getting wrapped up in your own personal dramas. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frivolous
  1. minor
  2. silly
  3. small
  4. goofy
  5. little
  6. futile
  7. trivial
  8. giddy
Adjective
  • Although the mattress developed some minor misshaping after a month of heavy use, Moon still thinks it’s packed with value.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Zachary Christian Cooper, 22, of Boyd was arrested by Department of Public Safety investigators Thursday morning at the Rhome Fire Department, on allegations of online solicitation of a minor and possessing child pornography.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • The feds gave the state a silly 48-hour deadline to agree to change constitutional law, dump common sense and sequester these 20,000 ballots, if they were even returned, to double-check they were cast by valid voters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Performed by legends Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, the silly song is a tongue-twister for kiddos, and the titular word, which means ‘extraordinarily good, wonderful’ even made its way into some real deal dictionaries.
    — Stephanie Ganz Published, Parents, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Manfred says small-market success is rare, while the union argues the Rays-Brewers World Series matchup shows baseball can work without a cap.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Massachusetts ranks third for the annual cost of raising a small child but 18th over 18 years.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The opening chase scene is gorgeously animated, the kind of sequence that makes Common Side Effects distinct visual style that is at once both goofy and realistic so mesmerizing to watch.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • Here's where the high diesel prices add up tough – what little hay there is, is a lot more expensive to harvest.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The prince didn’t have any luck in blocking Kelce, which comes as little surprise given the Chiefs star knows how to avoid defensive players.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • This meant that the negotiating parties had reached a deadlock beyond which further discussion would be futile.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Adelaide’s music had become an argument, however futile, with finality.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of futile
Adjective
  • To non-historians, the difference of a few years might seem rather trivial.
    — Mike McRae October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But in Season 4, the balance is off, and the fictional president’s parallels to our real-life war-starting, ally-betraying POTUS only make the former’s plight feel that much more trivial.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • Mark Zuckerberg and Dario Amodei aren’t giddy consumers whose spending cools when borrowing gets expensive.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • It couple, seemingly giddy with excitement (how very Kenneth of him).
    — Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of giddy

Browse Nearby Words

frivolity
frivolous
frivolousness
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Cite this Entry

“Frivolous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frivolous. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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