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 Her attorneys argued that the fee award would help to deter frivolous and retaliatory suits against accusers in the future. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 June 2026 This is the wrong time for a baseball stadium — or anything that looks frivolous or smacks of cronyism. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2026 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 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
  • In the Kyiv region, five people were wounded in the Brovary district, including a minor and two women, acting regional administration head Ruslan Oliinyk said on Facebook.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • Anthony Joseph Ramon, 25, of Gilroy, was first arrested on July 9 and charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • Kind of a silly riddle, but what’s life if not a little silly.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Ranking titanic figures from different eras might be a fruitless and silly exercise to some, but this type of debate is also the one thing sports is supposed to be.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 30 July 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • They were first popularized in Georgian England as small tokens of affection, infatuation or mourning, and examples are scattered across major museums such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Potential monetary policy task force recommendations may involve less transparent communication, a smaller balance sheet with stability risks, and inflation metrics that produce a lower reading.
    — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • And even though Buffett’s gone, his music still spread goofy fun in Fort Worth Saturday night.
    — Jake Harris July 26, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2026
  • Is there a goofier archetype than the too-intense tennis star?
    — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • The county purchased a brand new playground in 2022, but that did little to draw in visitors, or at least not the kind the Park and Recreation Department was hoping for.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Society has had very little time to develop stable rules around it.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • However, year after year, predicting Preller’s midsummer machinations has proved a largely futile endeavor.
    — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Now an Oda envoy and renowned strategist named Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda) has come to Murashige’s fortress to convince him that resistance is futile.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
Definition of futile
Adjective
  • Ireland’s Strategy For Quantum Technologies Building and sustaining a new industry is never a trivial undertaking.
    — Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Justice John Dixon said Bauer Media had failed to show the claims made about Wilson were substantially true or trivial.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of trivial
Adjective
  • On the flip side, those teams will also be giddy to see Green Bay without Parsons.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Deep breaths of cool marine air kept that giddy feeling going.
    — Nancy Glowinski, Los Angeles Times, 24 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 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of frivolous for Spanish Speakers

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