trifle meaning and examples

2025-09-05

Meaning

  • Noun:

    1. Something of little value or importance; a small or insignificant matter.
    2. A type of dessert made with sponge cake, fruit, jelly, and custard.

  • Verb (formal/old-fashioned): To treat something or someone without seriousness or proper respect; to waste time frivolously.

Grammar and Usage

  • As a noun: "a trifle" means "a small thing." Often used with "not worth a trifle" or "a mere trifle."
  • As an adverbial phrase: "a trifle + adjective" means "slightly" (e.g., "a trifle cold").
  • As a verb: "to trifle with" someone/something → to behave without respect, to play with something important carelessly.

Patterns

  • "a trifle + adjective"
  • "not worth a trifle"
  • "to trifle with sb/sth"

Common Phrases

  • a mere trifle – something very small or insignificant
  • a trifle cold/tired/etc. – slightly cold/tired/etc.
  • to trifle with someone’s feelings – to treat someone’s emotions carelessly

Collocations

  • waste a trifle
  • consider it a trifle
  • cost a mere trifle
  • not worth a trifle
  • trifle with danger
  • trifle with someone’s patience

Examples

  1. Don’t worry about the mistake—it’s just a trifle.
  2. This antique cost me a mere trifle at the market.
  3. I felt a trifle nervous before the interview.
  4. Please don’t trifle with my trust; it’s important to me.
  5. The matter is too serious to trifle with.
  6. She bought the necklace for a trifle compared to its real value.
  7. He tends to trifle with people’s feelings without realizing the harm.
  8. The weather turned a trifle colder than expected.
  • Noun: triviality, insignificance, bauble, nothing, detail
  • Verb: toy with, play with, waste, dally with, disregard