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 Wet paint auctions feel like a distant memory, with frivolous, speculative art buying, especially from 2020 to 2022, now being passé. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 Are peaches now the perfect example of how pop culture, politics, and perfume merge into something that feels frivolous at first but reveals more about our cultural mindset and mood beyond the initial spritz? — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 June 2026 Fong described it as an affordability measure, saying frivolous lawsuits are driving up fares for riders. — Lauren Chapman, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 Follies are, by definition, frivolous. — Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 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
  • On Thursday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Ramon with lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, police said.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
  • Many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, such as traffic violations, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • Sevigny holds firm to Tatum’s hard-to-love jerkishness, which helps smooth over the serious arguments that can turn inadvertently silly (and amplifies the purely silly ones).
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
  • The post also included a sweet selfie with her two younger sons, with Mateo smiling widely and Ciro making a silly face for the camera.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • In contrast, instruments on the FireSat satellites will be able to detect small brush and roadside fires 16 feet across.
    — Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • At the Cannes Film Festival in May, the model Toni Garrn made a striking appearance in a blue-black bustier dress embroidered with small petals.
    — Amy Verner, Vogue, 6 July 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • Margaret, what the president said is just goofy word salad.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 June 2026
  • As Buffy’s bafoonish brother, Dave Sheridan played an unlikely killer (though Doofy GIlmore ends up being far less goofy than originally expected).
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • There may be shitty people afoot in Independence, but not in that little house, not tonight.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • The Lost Legends videos demonstrate that, as with anything artistic, the talent of creator is crucial to success in AI so, ironically, Hollywood has little to fear from the technology.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Exciting and futile The Humans to Titan Summit was both exciting and futile, said Pascal Lee, chairman of the Mars Institute and a planetary scientist at the SETI Institute.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 3 July 2026
  • All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.
    — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of futile
Adjective
  • The aesthetic philosophy runs through every decision, including ones that might seem trivial.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 June 2026
  • In reality, the origin is completely trivial.
    — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • All these features also permeated the air in the last giddy days of 1999.
    — James Berman, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Travis was captured looking so giddy at the shout out, smiling wide and dancing.
    — Alicia Brunker, InStyle, 3 July 2026
Definition of giddy

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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 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of frivolous for Spanish Speakers

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