trifling
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈtɹaɪfliŋ/
Forms: form: more trifling
form: most trifling
Etymology: By surface analysis, trifle + -ing.
Senses: examples: text: […] It is not ſo decorous in reſpect of God, that he ſhould αὐτουργεῖν ἅπαντα [autourgeîn hápanta], ſet his ovvn hand as it vvere to every vvork, and immediately do all the meaneſt and triflingſt things himſelf drudgingly, vvithout making uſe of any inferior or ſubordinate Miniſters.
ref: 1691, John Ray, “The Cartesian Hypothesis Considered and Censured”, in The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC, page 39:
text: However, upon a ſtrict Review, I blotted out ſeveral Paſſages of leſs Moment which were in my firſt Copy, for fear of being cenſured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps not without Juſtice, accuſed.
ref: 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Great Storm Described, the Long-Boat Sent to Fetch Water, the Author Goes with It to Discover the Country. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag), page [176]:
text: Trifling, apparently, was the circumstance that led to the restoration of Charles. But there is nothing really little or trifling in the government of God.
ref: 1840, Lewis Rose, “Fear that we are on the way to troubles”, in An Humble Attempt to Put an End to the Present Divisions in the Church of Scotland, and to Promote Her Usefulness. […] , Glasgow: George Gallie, →OCLC, page 4:
text: […] it doesn't take him long to make any of them, and he sells them for some trifling sum of money.
ref: 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 234a:
synonyms: word: trivial
word: inconsequential
word: petty
word: base
word: contemptible
word: foolish
word: for the birds
word: futile
word: frivolous
word: idle
word: ignorable
word: immaterial
word: inconsequential
word: inconsiderable
word: indifferent
word: insignificant
word: like a fart in a windstorm
word: meager
word: mean
word: minor
word: negligible
word: nothingburger
word: nondescript
word: paltry
word: petty
word: picayune
word: picayunish
word: piddling
word: piddly
word: pissant
word: pitiful
word: pointless
word: silly
word: simple
word: slight
word: tin-pot
word: trifling
word: trivial
word: two-bit
word: unimportant
word: unweighty
word: vain
word: worthless
word: wretched
glosses: Trivial, or of little importance.
examples: text: For, really, as it is a trifling Age, ſo nothing but Trifles are valued in it. Men read none but trifling Authors, purſue none but trifling Amusements, and contend for none but trifling Opinions. A trifling Fellow is prefer'd, a trifling Woman admir'd.
ref: 1735, Robert Dodsley, The Toy-Shop. A Dramatick Satire., page 7:
glosses: Frivolous.
examples: text: Then she said she doesn’t take showers, that’s just trifling.
qualifier: African-American Vernacular
glosses: Nasty or dirty.
examples: text: You trifling good for nothin’ type of brother.
text: My hand was aching to slap that silly heifer. I told her to take her trifling ass down to Burger King and get herself a job flipping burgers […]
ref: 2001, Glenda Howard, Cita's World:
text: "To hell with that trifling nigga!", and "You deserved every bad thing you got!"
ref: 2006 December 4, Douglas J. Knox, Deceitful Desires, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN, page 102:
text: After all my loyalty of not letting Ice Mike['s] hoes choose me when I didn't even have any hoes[, he let one of mine abandon me]. Now I needed some support to keep this trifling hoe focused on getting bond money to get me out of jail.
ref: 2020 January 31, Donald Boone, Beast Master, Newman Springs Publishing, →ISBN:
qualifier: now chiefly African-American Vernacular
glosses: Good-for-nothing; shady or lazy; scrub.
Related terms: trifle