Definitions for trifle
ˈtraɪ fəltri·fle

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. triflenoun

   a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate

2. technicality, trifle, trivialitynoun

   a detail that is considered insignificant

3. triviality, trivia, trifle, small beerverb

   something of small importance

4. piddle, wanton, wanton away, piddle away, trifleverb

   waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently

5. frivol, trifleverb

   act frivolously

6. dally, trifle, playverb

   consider not very seriously

   "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. triflenoun

   An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.

2. triflenoun

   An insignificant amount.

3. triflenoun

   Anything that is of little importance or worth.

4. triflenoun

   A particular kind of pewter.

5. triflenoun

   utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.

6. trifleverb

   To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.

7. trifleverb

   To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.

8. trifleverb

   To inconsequentially toy with something.

9. trifleverb

   To squander or waste.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Triflenoun

   A thing of no moment.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   The instruments of darkness tell us truths;
   Win us with honest trifles, to betray us
   In deepest consequence. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   Old Geoffrey Chaucer doth of Topas tell,
   Mad Rabelais of Pantagruel,
   A later third of Dowsabell,
   With such poor trifles playing:
   Others the like have labour’d at,
   Some of this thing, and some of that,
   And many of they know not what,
   But that they must be saying. Michael Drayton, Nymphid.

   The infinitely greatest confessed good is neglected, to satisfy the successive uneasiness of our desires pursuing trifles. John Locke.

2. To Trifleverb

   To make of no importance. Not in use.

   Threescore and ten I can remember well,
   Within the volume of which time I’ve seen
   Hours dreadful and things strange; but this sore night
   Hath trifled former knowings. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

3. To Trifleverb

   Etymology: tryfelen, Dutch.

   1. To act or talk without weight or dignity; to act with levity; to talk with folly.

   When they saw that we ought to abrogate such popish ceremonies as are unprofitable, or else might have other more profitable in their stead, they trifle and they beat the air about nothing which toucheth us, unless they mean that we ought to abrogate all popish ceremonies. Richard Hooker.

   2. To mock; to play the fool.

   Do not believe,
   That, from the sense of all civility,
   I thus would play and trifle with your reverence. William Shakespeare.

   3. To indulge light amusement.4. To be of no importance.

   ’Tis hard for every trifling debt of two shillings to be driven to law. Edmund Spenser.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Trifle

   Trifle is a layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element (fresh or jelly), custard and whipped cream layered in that order in a glass dish. The contents of a trifle are highly variable and many varieties exist, some forgoing fruit entirely and instead using other ingredients, such as chocolate, coffee or vanilla. The fruit and sponge layers may be suspended in fruit-flavoured jelly, and these ingredients are usually arranged to produce three or four layers. The assembled dessert can be topped with whipped cream or, more traditionally, syllabub. The name trifle was used for a dessert like a fruit fool in the sixteenth century; by the eighteenth century, Hannah Glasse records a recognisably modern trifle, with the inclusion of a gelatin jelly.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. trifle

   A trifle is a thing of little value or importance; a small, trivial matter or item. It can also refer to an English dessert made with layers of sponge cake, custard, jelly, and cream.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. Triflenoun

   a thing of very little value or importance; a paltry, or trivial, affair

2. Triflenoun

   a dish composed of sweetmeats, fruits, cake, wine, etc., with syllabub poured over it

3. Triflenoun

   to act or talk without seriousness, gravity, weight, or dignity; to act or talk with levity; to indulge in light or trivial amusements

4. Trifleverb

   to make of no importance; to treat as a trifle

5. Trifleverb

   to spend in vanity; to fritter away; to waste; as, to trifle away money

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Trifle

   Trifle is a dessert dish made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or jelly, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Trifle

   trī′fl, v.i. to act or talk lightly: to indulge in light or silly amusements: to waste or spend idly or unprofitably (with).—n. anything of little value: a light confection of whipped cream or white of egg, with fruit, wine, &c.—n. Trī′fler.—adj. Trī′fling, of small value or importance: trivial.—adv. Trī′flingly.—n. Trī′flingness. [O. Fr. trufle, dim. of truffe, a gibe, also a truffle.]

Matched Categories

1. • Consider
   • Detail
   • Pudding

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Anagrams for trifle »

1. filter

2. lifter

3. relift

4. fertil

How to pronounce trifle?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say trifle in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of trifle in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of trifle in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of trifle in a Sentence

1. George Crabbe:

   Deceivers are the most dangerous members of society. They trifle with the best affections of our nature, and violate the most sacred obligations.

2. E. B. White:

   You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what's a life, anyway We're born, we live a little while, we die. A spider's life can't help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone's life can stand a little of that.

3. Alexander Pope:

   At every trifle take offense, that always shows great pride or little sense.

4. Saadi Shirazi:

   Heed not the flatterer?s fulsome talk, He from thee hopes some trifle to obtain; Thou wilt, shouldst thou his wishes baulk, Ten hundred times as much of censure gain.

5. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus:

   Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it.... Be satisfied with success in even the smallest matter, and think that even such a result is no trifle.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=trifle
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Trifle
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=trifle
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifle
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifle
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=trifle
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=trifle
9. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=trifle