FRIVOLOUS Synonyms: 129 Similar and Opposite Words

frivolous

adjective

ˈfri-və-ləs

Definition of frivolous

as in minor

lacking importance judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 Thousands of drivers are still buying new vehicles despite sky-high prices, but there's strong demand for advanced driver assistance, safety and comfort features that were once considered frivolous luxuries. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frivolous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frivolous

Adjective

But there’s no reason for alarm; none of the pitchers drafted by the Marlins in July were used in a minor-league game.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
The front camera uses a 135-degree field of view, which introduces minor edge distortion, but that's the price for capturing a broad swath of the road ahead.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

Whatever to the silly old poem and whatever to the ceremony and all its stupid little details and whatever to all the rules for daughters.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
His faith in the transformative power of a deeply silly musical about nosy neighbors provides the film with its strongest anchor of relatable humanity.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of silly

Adjective

Rooms This is a big hotel, with 177 rooms and suites that range in size and shape from the smallest superior rooms to the impressive top-floor penthouse.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
Newsom, in his veto message at the time, cited concerns about stifling innovation and said smaller AI models, which would have been exempt from the law, could also be dangerous.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

The only player who can match Mbappé for talent is Haaland who, unlike Mbappé, has a goofy, accessible and affable persona online.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
But his firmly comedic approach, primarily filtered through goofy ironic commentary in the tradition of Monty Python, makes the specificity of his survey go down smoothly.

— Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of goofy

Adjective

It’s also brilliantly written as a futile, pathetic rebellion by men with zero agency or purpose in their own lives.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
Not that Georgian masculinity, with its macho, bellicose posturing and archaic codes of honor, is portrayed as anything other than fumbling and futile.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of futile

Adjective

One of the most interesting and useful things that romantic drama, classic or modern, can do is to distinguish essential characteristics from trivial ones.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2026
At the same time, the impact/value can be low when autonomous operations are only applied to trivial, time-consuming tasks.

— Karthik Kannan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of trivial

Adjective

Now my guy is stuck in an insane asylum with a doctor who seems downright giddy to try out some electroshock therapy.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2026
News from the air punctuated a giddy era of television journalism that was increasingly striving for live, real-time reports.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of giddy

Browse Nearby Words

frivolity

frivolous

frivolousness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of frivolous

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

confabulate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes