trifle
Meaning
A trifle is something of little value or importance; as a verb it means to treat lightly; and in British cooking it is a layered cold dessert of sponge, fruit or jam, custard, and cream.
Meanings of “trifle”
Something of little value, substance, or importance; also a small amount, as in the phrase a trifle (= slightly).123
- Tone
- Noun: neutral to slightly formal; a trifle (= slightly) is idiomatic.
- Where you’ll see it
- Searches for trifle meaning often want this everyday noun. Merriam-Webster calls it something of little value, substance, or importance. Cambridge labels the “unimportant thing” sense formal and defines a trifle as slightly. Dictionary.com adds small sums of money and light artistic works. People argue over trifles when the stakes are tiny.
Examples
- There’s no reason to argue over such trifles.
- The money is a mere trifle to me.
- I’m a trifle confused about tonight’s plan.
Examples are written for this site to show typical use. They are not quotes.
To treat someone or something as unimportant; to talk or act playfully or idly; or to waste time on trivial things.13
- Tone
- Neutral to slightly literary; warnings sound firm.
- Where you’ll see it
- Merriam-Webster’s verb senses cover treating as unimportant, jesting or misleading talk, handling something idly, and spending or wasting on trifles. Dictionary.com highlights deal lightly (Don’t trifle with me!) and trifle away time. The fixed warning not to be trifled with means you are serious and will push back.
Examples
- Do not trifle with me unless you mean what you say.
- He sat trifling with a pen while the meeting dragged on.
- She would not let anyone trifle away the afternoon.
An English cold dessert typically layered with sponge cake or ladyfingers (often soaked in wine or sherry), fruit or jam, custard, and whipped cream.2134
- Tone
- Culinary; strongly associated with British and Commonwealth tables.
- Where you’ll see it
- Cambridge describes a sweet cold dish with fruit and cake, custard, and a top layer of cream (e.g. a sherry trifle). Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com match that list: sponge soaked with wine or spirits, preserves or fruit, custard, and cream. Wikipedia summarizes variable layers of sponge or ladyfingers, fruit or jelly, custard, and whipped cream in a glass dish. This sense names the dish; it is not a step-by-step recipe.
Examples
- She brought a sherry trifle to the holiday table.
- The glass bowl showed layers of sponge, jam, custard, and cream.
- Trifle is a popular Christmas dessert in Australia and New Zealand.
Usage notes
- Trifle meaning in search usually covers either “something trivial / to treat lightly” or the British dessert—check whether the query mentions cake, custard, or sherry.
- A trifle + adjective means slightly (a trifle nervous), not “one dessert.”
- Do not confuse the dessert sense with fool (a fruit-and-cream pudding); the names once overlapped historically, but modern trifle is the layered sponge-and-custard dish.
Origin
Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com derive the noun from Middle English trufle/trifle, from Anglo-French words for fraud, trick, or nonsense; the verb follows the same path. Merriam-Webster dates both noun and verb senses to the 14th century. The dessert name is later culinary English; Wikipedia notes early ‘trifle’ cream recipes in the 16th century and recognizably modern layered trifles by the mid-18th century.134
Sources
- trifle — Merriam-Webster (opens in a new tab)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trifle
- trifle — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/trifle
- trifle — Dictionary.com (opens in a new tab)
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/trifle
- Trifle — Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifle