trifle

noun
UK: /ˈtraɪ.fəl/
US: /ˈtraɪ.fəl/

  1. A dessert typically consisting of layers of fruit, cake or sponge fingers, custard, and cream.

    1. I made a delicious trifle for dessert tonight.
    2. The Christmas trifle, with its sherry-soaked sponge, was a family favourite.

Synonyms

play sweet dessert toy joke small unimportant insignificant
trifle intransitive-verb

  1. To treat someone or something as if it is not important.

    1. Don't trifle with me, I'm in no mood for jokes.
    2. She accused him of trifling with her affections, leading her on without commitment.

  2. To act or talk in a way that is not serious.

    1. Stop trifling and get back to work!
    2. He tends to trifle during serious meetings, which annoys his colleagues.
trifle transitive-verb

  1. To spend time or money carelessly or frivolously.

    1. Don't trifle away your money on things you don't need.
    2. It's easy to trifle away an afternoon when you have no responsibilities.
trifle adjective

  1. Small and unimportant.

    1. It was a trifle matter.
    2. The cost was a trifle amount compared to the overall budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "trifle" is /ˈtraɪ.fəl/ in British English and /ˈtraɪ.fəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "trifle": play, sweet, dessert, toy, joke, small, unimportant, insignificant.

Example usage of "trifle": "I made a delicious trifle for dessert tonight.". More examples on the page.