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trifle

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb trifle differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of trifle are coquet, dally, flirt, and toy. While all these words mean "to deal with or act toward without serious purpose," trifle may imply playfulness, unconcern, indulgent contempt.

to trifle with a lover's feelings

When could coquet be used to replace trifle?

The meanings of coquet and trifle largely overlap; however, coquet implies attracting interest or admiration without serious intention.

companies that coquet with environmentalism solely for public relations

When might dally be a better fit than trifle?

The words dally and trifle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dally suggests indulging in thoughts or plans merely as an amusement.

dallying with the idea of building a boat someday

When is it sensible to use flirt instead of trifle?

The words flirt and trifle can be used in similar contexts, but flirt implies an interest or attention that soon passes to another object.

flirted with one fashionable ism after another

In what contexts can toy take the place of trifle?

Although the words toy and trifle have much in common, toy implies acting without full attention or serious exertion of one's powers.

a political novice toying with great issues

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 trifle
Noun
In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the government collected around $80 billion in tariffs and fees, a trifle next to the $2.5 trillion that comes from individual income taxes and the $1.7 trillion from Social Security and Medicare taxes. Paul Wiseman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025 Magnetic blackberry trifle flavors with wild thyme and orange donuts animated by marked acidity and a saline minerality with silky texture and a long finish that seems to reverberate its deliciousness for several seconds. Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
Arsenal might be informed that things could have ended differently had Arteta spent a trifling $120 million on a striker in January. Rory Smith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024 In the event, however, the Biden Justice Department prosecuted hundreds of people on trifling misdemeanor offenses that would never have been charged in normal cases untainted by partisan politics. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 9 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for trifle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trifle
Noun
  • My memoir was built of gaps, juxtaposition, weird little nothings.
    Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 16 Dec. 2024
  • The one whose legs turned nothings into somethings, improvising the Lions’ entire defensive game plan into a pile of ash?
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2024
Verb
  • Jayson Tatum flirted with a triple-double (22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals) and went 5-for-9 from three after scuffling in Games 1 and 2.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
  • Julius Randle flirted with a triple-double, tallying 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • While physicians don’t have a definitive answer as to why heart failure typically causes cognitive decline, the following factors may play a role: Changes to the heart.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 May 2025
  • The scenes with you and Erika Henningsen, who plays your ex’s young new girlfriend, are really fascinating.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Yesterday’s pangrams were triviality, trivially and virality.
    Alex Travelli, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Never issue false assurances, but don’t dwell on trivialities either.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Krenn and his fellow doctoral students had spent months gathering around the blackboard, doodling various setups and debating the theory.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The art of getting distracted in class was almost entirely analog — writing and passing notes, doodling in notebooks or textbooks, whispering or signaling to friends, throwing pencils up into those porous ceiling tiles.
    Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Trifle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trifle. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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