trifle Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
  2. noun a detail that is considered insignificant
    technicality; triviality.
  3. noun something of small importance
    trivia; small beer; triviality.
  4. verb waste time; spend one's time idly or inefficiently
    piddle away; wanton; wanton away; piddle.
  5. verb act frivolously
    frivol.
  6. verb consider not very seriously
    play; dally.
    • He is trifling with her
    • She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania

WordNet

Tri"fle noun
Etymology
OE. trifle, trufle, OF. trufle mockery, raillery, trifle, probably the same word as F. truffe truffle, the word being applied to any small or worthless object. See Truffle.
Definitions
  1. A thing of very little value or importance; a paltry, or trivial, affair.
    With such poor trifles playing. Drayton.
    Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmation strong As proofs of holy writ. Shak.
    Small sands the mountain, moments make year, And frifles life. Young.
  2. A dish composed of sweetmeats, fruits, cake, wine, etc., with syllabub poured over it.
Tri"fle intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. trifelen, truflen. See Trifle, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Trifled ; present participle & verbal noun Trifling
Definitions
  1. To act or talk without seriousness, gravity, weight, or dignity; to act or talk with levity; to indulge in light or trivial amusements.
    They trifle, and they beat the air about nothing which toucheth us. Hooker.
Tri"fle transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To make of no importance; to treat as a trifle. Obs. Shak.
  2. To spend in vanity; to fritter away; to waste; as, to trifle away money. "We trifle time." Shak.

Webster 1913