Perfection is a trifle dull.
Source: tatoeba (21084)
Trifle
/ˈtɹaɪfəl/
Synonyms for "trifle" (350 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (70)
Strong matches (105)
dowdydribble awaydrivel awaydropdrop in the bucketdudduffdummyeclairfalderalfarcefarthingfeatherfiddlefiddle faddlefiddle withfiddle-faddlefidgetfidget withfig
Show 74 more words
finger withflanflash in the panfleabiteflirtflirt withfolderolfoolfool aroundfool awayfool withfootlefrench pastryfribblefripperyfritter awayfritter away timefrivolfrothgaudget funnygewgawgimcrackgimcrackerygo haywiregoldbrickgoof offhairhalfpennyhardly anythinghill of beanshinthollow manhoothorse aroundidleidle awayinvite ridiculeiotajackstrawjerk offjestjokejotjumpjunketkickshawkid aroundkill timeknickknackknickknackerylallygaglay figurelead onleaveleave loose endsleave undonelet alonelet belet danglelet golittleloiterlollygaglose timemake lovemake outmalingerman of strawmashmere nothingmessmess aroundminikin
Verb(1 words)
Related words (175)
Noun(30 words)
minimizeminuityminusculesnicknackniff-naffninepencenonentitypaltrinesspeanutpennyworthpfennigpicayunepiddlespittancepocket changepuddingscuddicksixpencesmall beersop
Show 10 more words
minutiaemissmitemockerymodicummolehillmonkeymonkey aroundmoussemuckmuckermuddle awaynebbishnecknext to nothingnobodynonentitynothingnovelnovelty
Show 118 more words
nullityomitpandowdypass overpass the timepass uppastrypastypatepatisseriepattypatty-shellpeanutspeppercornpetphilanderpicayunepiddlepiepinpinchpinch of snuffpinprickpiss awayplayplay aroundplay the buffoonplay the foolplay withplaythingplum puddingpotterpotter awaypretermitprocrastinatepuddingpuffpuppetpushoverputterquicherapred centrennetrosetterow of pinsrubbishrushscatteringscintillashadeshirkshitskipslacksmacksmall beersmall changesmattersmidgensmidginsmoochsnapsneeshingsousoupconspicespoonsteamed puddingstrawstring alongstrudelsuggestionsuspicionsweet talksweet-talksyllabubtadtapioca puddingtarttastething of naughtthoughttimbaletinkertipsy caketittletomfooltouchtoytoy withtracetrashtrifle awaytrifle withtriflestrinkettriviatrivialitytrumperytuppenceturnovertwiddletwo centstwopencevanilla puddingvol-au-ventwantonwaste timewhatnotwhiffwhile awaywhile away the timewhim whamwhim-whamwhisper sweet nothingswhitzero
Adjective(2 words)
small detailtrifling
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: triviality, a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn.
- Sentence evidence is available for trifle, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "trifle".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "trifle"
Keep "trifle" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "trifle" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "trifle", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "trifle" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
32 entriesShowing 16 of 32 words.
More specific
14 entriesbaublebelittlecream trifledallydawdlefritterfruit trifleknickknackminimizeminor detailpaltry amountpetty itemtrivializeundervalue
Collocations
9 entriesBritish trifleclassic triflemere trifletrifling amounttrifling detailtrifling errortrifling gesturetrifling matterworth a trifle
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
4 entriesTranslations
65 translations across 27 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- kleinigheid noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Bashkir
1 entries- ваҡ-төйәк noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Bulgarian
1 entries- дреболия noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Catalan
2 entries- fotesa noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- galindaina noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Czech
3 entries- drobnost noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- hloupost noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- maličkost noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Danish
2 entries- bagatel noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- småting noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Dutch
2 entries- bagatel noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- zever noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Esperanto
1 entries- bagatelo noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Finnish
2 entries- pikkuasia noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- pikkujuttu noun (thing of little importance or worth)
French
3 entries- babiole noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- bricole noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- broutille noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Galician
4 entries- bagatela noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- balda noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- insignificancia noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- parvada noun (thing of little importance or worth)
German
1 entries- Kleinigkeit noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Irish
1 entries- réadán noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Italian
3 entries- bagattella noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- cosa da poco noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- inezia noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Latin
4 entries- apinae noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- gerrae noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- naucum noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- nugae noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Macedonian
1 entries- дребулија noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Māori
4 entries- kanehe noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- kāmuimui noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- takunga noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- takutakunga noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- småting noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- småting noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Polish
4 entries- bagatela noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- betka noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- bzdet noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- błahostka noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Portuguese
2 entries- bugiganga noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- ninharia noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Romanian
1 entries- mărunțiș noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Russian
4 entries- безде́лица noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- безделу́шка noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- ме́лочь noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- пустя́к noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- tričàrija noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- трича̀рија noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Slovak
1 entries- maličkosť noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Spanish
4 entries- friolera noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- menudencia noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- nadería noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- nimiedad noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Swedish
3 entries- bagatell noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- småsak noun (thing of little importance or worth)
- struntsak noun (thing of little importance or worth)
Sample sentences
35 total sentences available.
Don't worry about such a trifle thing.
Source: tatoeba (41332)
Don't trifle with such serious matters.
Source: tatoeba (41336)
Don't worry about such a trifle.
Source: tatoeba (41560)
Showing 4 of 35 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "trifle"?
Closest matches include triviality, a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "trifle"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.