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
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Recent Examples of frivolous
Bost could unleash frivolous suits to undermine election confidence or disrupt results.
—
Ashley Lopez, NPR, 14 Jan. 2026
The increases resulted from the bulk of what the industry called frivolous litigation originating in South Florida.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is coming to the defense of former tenants of landlord Jeffrey Butler, claiming that his defamation lawsuit against them over the lyrics in a TikTok video is a frivolous attempt to stymie free speech.
—Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Providence Journal, 10 Jan. 2026
Flirting feels fun, not frivolous, and your heart knows exactly when to lean in.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Ashley Lopez, NPR, 14 Jan. 2026
The increases resulted from the bulk of what the industry called frivolous litigation originating in South Florida.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is coming to the defense of former tenants of landlord Jeffrey Butler, claiming that his defamation lawsuit against them over the lyrics in a TikTok video is a frivolous attempt to stymie free speech.
—Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Providence Journal, 10 Jan. 2026
Flirting feels fun, not frivolous, and your heart knows exactly when to lean in.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frivolous
Adjective
-
Aside from the three fatalities, four people were hospitalized including two men, both 35, who were in critical condition, and two other men, 37 and 38, who sustained minor injuries, according to the fire department.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Of the more than 70,000 people currently in immigration detention facilities, only about 25% of them have any kind of criminal conviction, which can include traffic violations and other minor offenses, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which tracks detention data.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
On one memorable occasion when a Nazi came to town and threatened to burn a Q’uran and then march through the Somali neighborhood, water balloons and silly string.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The whole idea seems silly, but its impact could potentially increase the cost of aviation and affect flight safety and operations.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This seems odd but ripening fruit releases small amounts of ethylene gas which can reduce the longevity of the arrangement.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
But the geographical distance is small compared to the geopolitical canyon the Games hope to bridge.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Banana Phone Song One of my favorite things about toddlers is their willingness to be goofy.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Sabrina Carpenter’s song about guys being goofy and Bad Bunny’s single about wishing to be more present in fleeting moments might’ve been more pertinent to a rough last year animated by masculine aggression.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The importance of motive At this point, there’s little to suggest the motive is political or ideological, Leising said.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The big-tech releases from last week did little to calm nerves stateside, while some of Europe's biggest names are preparing to report this week.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The metallic sheets cannot stop the damage Echard seeks to impose on her canvases, much like those tinfoil hats that some use in confused, futile efforts to shield themselves from pernicious invisible forces.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
-
But other professors, perhaps concluding that resistance is futile, are adjusting to the media their students grew up on.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Needless to say, this truly trivial little conundrum led me down a rabbit hole of laundry tips on Reddit.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
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The cost of an independent study is trivial compared to the cost of emergency enforcement, retrofits, and reactive fixes once problems surface.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s why Adams wasn’t exactly giddy when the road-warrior Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers in the Wild Card round or the Chicago Bears in last weekend’s Divisional Round.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
There is regret for not having spent more time in Rwanda’s beautiful capital, a mounting excitement about entering its wildscapes, and the giddy anticipation for my first sighting of a mountain gorilla in its natural habitat.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frivolous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frivolous. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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