trifle

Pluraltrifles

Formstrifles, trifling, trifled

1. 1
   nounfigurativelycountable or uncountable

   Something that is not important or not worth much.

   Don't get upset over a trifle like that.

   She spends hours worrying about trifles.

   Similartriviality, detail

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   An English sweet dish made with cake, fruit, gelatin, custard and whipped cream.

   Grandma always makes a big trifle for Christmas.

   We had trifle and tea after dinner.

   Note
3. 3
   nounfigurativelycountable or uncountable

   Just a little bit of something.

   Add a trifle of salt to the soup.

   There was only a trifle of milk left in the jug.

   Similarbit, smidgen, hint, dash, drop

   Note
4. 4
   verbintransitive

   To treat someone or something as if they do not matter.

   Don't trifle with her feelings, because she really likes you.

   My boss is not a man to be trifled with.

   Similartoy, play, dally

   Note
5. 5
   nounfigurativelycountable or uncountable

   A very small amount of money.

   He bought the old bike for a trifle at a yard sale.

   Ten dollars is a trifle to her, but it is a lot to me.

   Similarpittance

   Oppositefortune

   Note
6. 6
   verbintransitive

   To play with something in your hands without really thinking about it.

   Some kids trifle with their pencils when they are bored.

   He trifled with his keys while he waited for the call.

   Similarfiddle, toy, play, fidget

   Note
7. 7
   verbintransitive

   To joke around or act in a silly way, not seriously.

   This is serious, so please don't trifle.

   He was only trifling when he said he would quit.

   Similarjoke, jest, kid

   Note
8. 8
   verbtransitive

   To waste something, like your time, in a careless way.

   Don't trifle away your whole summer playing video games.

   He trifled away his free time and never learned to play the guitar.

   Similarfritter, idle, waste, squander

   Note
9. 9
   nouncountable or uncountable

   One kind of pewter, a metal made mostly of tin.

   These old spoons are made of trifle.

   The pewterer melted down the trifle to make new buttons.

10. 10
    noununcountable

    Spoons, cups and other things for the table made from a certain kind of pewter.

    Grandma polishes her old trifle until the gray metal shines.

    The family ate with trifle until they could afford silver.

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