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
Chris Colin,
Wired News,
18 May 2026
Meanwhile, that global temperature record that DiCaprio mentioned in his acceptance speech in 2016 seems almost trifling compared to what has happened since.
—
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 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
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
The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
30 Oct. 2023
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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 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
In less trifling hands, there’s no telling what these tools could do, are doing now.
—
Chris Colin,
Wired News,
18 May 2026
Meanwhile, that global temperature record that DiCaprio mentioned in his acceptance speech in 2016 seems almost trifling compared to what has happened since.
—
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 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
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
The cost to find these answers, even in the near term, is relatively trifling.
—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
30 Oct. 2023
Verb
But that still left the less-than-trifling matter of the second tier’s title to settle, as the teams were locked together on 97 points with one game still to play.
—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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 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
-
Three other people in the vehicle, including a 6-month-old, had minor injuries, the report said.
-
The adult and child had minor to moderate injuries and were taken to the hospital, the fire department said.
Adjective
-
In 2024, roughly 48,800 Americans died by suicide, a slight decrease from the peak of nearly 49,500 deaths in this manner in 2022.
-
Matching trousers stayed narrow through the hips before loosening down the leg into a slight flare.
Verb
-
Like Friday, when a rookie lefty was flirting with a no-hitter in the middle innings, Bennett held New York hitless until Schuemann’s two-out homer in the fifth.
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Lake Superior Court Judge Samuel Cappas sentenced a Chicago man to 76 years Thursday for gunning down a friend who was flirting with his girlfriend online.
Verb
-
Win prizes playing interactive games, network with artists and entrepreneurs and enjoy signature drinks and bar snacks available for purchase.
-
Men leaders can pay attention to and be mindful of who in the workplace may be playing more of an emotional support role that falls outside their job description.
Adjective
-
Name the worry out loud, then choose a small boundary that protects your energy, such as turning off notifications during a demanding task.
-
People milled about clutching small rainbow flags from the human rights organization Outright International.
Adjective
-
Los Angeles stretches its NL West lead to 11 games and maintains MLB’s best record as Ohtani’s star power turns Sacramento’s nominal home crowd into a roaring Dodgers road show.
-
The model produces outputs within nominal parameters, but those outputs reflect market conditions that are seconds or minutes stale.
Verb
-
Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion.
-
The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.
Adjective
-
Selena Gomez took the little black dress to a new level ahead of longtime friend Taylor Swift’s wedding.
-
That little green or yellow can in the grocery store that boasts pictures of pears, cherries, grapes, and other fruit on the label?
Cite this Entry
“Trifling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trifling. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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