1
as in minor
lacking importance
judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
The lawsuit was widely viewed by First Amendment experts as frivolous and without merit.
—
Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Joy is not frivolous, pleasure is not shallow, and connection is not optional.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The producers tried to throw out the estate’s complaint under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is intended to protect free speech against frivolous litigation.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 12 May 2026
In arbitration, Patel still has to prove his claims, which FanDuel can argue are frivolous.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Joy is not frivolous, pleasure is not shallow, and connection is not optional.
—Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The producers tried to throw out the estate’s complaint under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is intended to protect free speech against frivolous litigation.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 12 May 2026
In arbitration, Patel still has to prove his claims, which FanDuel can argue are frivolous.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frivolous
Adjective
-
Earlier in the year, Edwards dealt with a minor setback, which forced him to miss a handful of games early on.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
For those who had been convicted in the past, the data doesn't distinguish between minor offenses and violent crimes.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
A lot of the silly AI hardware products that have launched and failed tried to do too much.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Earnest, sappy, Burtonesque, silly.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
And as expected, the conference effectively got rid of its late-season weekend of games against smaller schools.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
The intake is capped at 280 visas annually to prevent a brain drain in the small island nation.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Her content is uniquely her — slightly more goofy than her older sister's, but equally as captivating and with confidence building at the forefront.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Finally, a Game of Thrones spin-off for those with a goofier side to them.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
This is a global manufacturing hub — has been since the 17th-century, when local farmers needed a side-hustle during harsh winters, and started tinkering with big hands and little hands.—
Jon Wertheim,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
-
According to the researchers, the discovery highlights how little is known about deep-ocean ecosystems and underscores the need for rigorous environmental assessments before large-scale mining is allowed to proceed.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Repeating the futile methods of the past will yield no new results.—
Mark Osborne,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
His futile dreams of Mexico were not a metaphor for a life frustrated by unresolved dreams.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
That should represent a non-trivial upgrade from Verizon’s cheapest current unlimited-data subscription, the Unlimited Welcome option introduced in August 2023.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
16 June 2026
-
On Monday in Inglewood, the history was much more fraught, and not at all trivial.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wayne Brady, Billy Porter and Harvey Fierstein are giddy with excitement for the preview of their upcoming production Encores!—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
The future shotstopper was out the door and sprinting in giddy celebration up a street near Bloemfontein before the players had even begun their shimmy.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frivolous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frivolous. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
