1
as in minor
lacking importance
deciding what you want to do for a living is no trifling matter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
trifling differences between the theatrical and DVD versions of the movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in flirting
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
do not trifle with me unless you mean to ask me to marry you
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in playing
to spend time in aimless activity
spent a lazy afternoon trifling on the front porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trifling
Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia, which has more atomic weapons than any other country in the world, could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025
Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Aside from bacteria, the smallest genome belongs to the intestinal parasite Encephalitozoon intestinalis, with a trifling 2.3 billion base pairs.
—Kirsten Weir, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2011
With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2010
Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The aging Airy had devoted his observatory to stellar measurements that now produced trifling improvements to navigation.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Talk of mounting nuclear readiness towards Russia, which has more atomic weapons than any other country in the world, could overshadow more trifling domestic matters, like the Epstein scandal, for instance.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025
Pixar has long stood out by bringing something less trifling to theatergoing families.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
Frankly, the more trifling the crime, the better this franchise’s comedy aspirations would work.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
And yet the movie’s insularity feels trifling and empty.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2024
The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2023
Aside from bacteria, the smallest genome belongs to the intestinal parasite Encephalitozoon intestinalis, with a trifling 2.3 billion base pairs.
—Kirsten Weir, Discover Magazine, 12 June 2011
With that much water needed for even the most trifling tasks, the natural question becomes: How does that water reach those data centers, let alone the world’s farms and factories?
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2010
Verb
The rise may seem trifling, but staffers work long hours, and a caffeine budget is a necessity.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
The health factor is no trifling qualifier for a player who has missed time with shoulder and oblique injuries, in addition to that unfortunate incident with his pelvic floor.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The aging Airy had devoted his observatory to stellar measurements that now produced trifling improvements to navigation.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about.
—Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trifling
Adjective
-
Left-hander Marco Gonzales, a veteran coming back from flexor tendon surgery and in camp on a minor-league deal, followed with another three scoreless innings.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
-
This will be the period when the threat of severe weather is highest, with large hail, damaging winds and minor flooding as the main concerns throughout the afternoon.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The slight kitten heels add a feminine touch, while the open design keeps your feet cool all day long.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are both suitable, with porcelain offering a slight edge due to its better heat resistance.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the video, the two were seen flirting at TopGolf, quickly catching the attention of fans online.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Sorry, hello, Rob was flirting.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fellow City Section member Sylmar (24-12) is playing San Marin (21-13) for the Division V title at noon.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Prior to the start of the current conflict, the IRGC was one of the most powerful organizations in the country, playing a dominant role in both internal domestic security and regional power projection.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Modern warfare has shown that traditional radar systems often struggle to identify and monitor many small drones flying together.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Adjust a subscription or renegotiate a small fee, then record the change, because tracking progress reinforces confidence and protects your careful planning.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The war with Hezbollah launched in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks never really ended, despite a nominal ceasefire that went into effect in November 2024.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Both had incumbents with nominal primary opposition, but the primaries to select a November challenger saw big spending.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The historic district is just a few blocks wide, with the Gulf on one side, the Intracoastal on the other, and a walkable little downtown dotted with shops and galleries in between.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
When three Bruins starters — Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Charlisse Leger-Walker — joined the UCLA dance team for a halftime performance at a men’s basketball game on March 3, Leger-Walker viewed it as just a fun little bonding moment and an expansion of the team’s intentional joy.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trifling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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