bagatelle

IPA/ˌbæɡəˈtel/
IPA/ˌbæɡəˈtel/

bagatelle — noun

  • bagatellesingular
  • bagatellesplural

1. an amount of money or an object that is so small or unimportant that it is barel

1.nounC1
Definition

an amount of money or an object that is so small or unimportant that it is barely worth mentioning or dealing with.

Example

Abigail got a refund of three euros, a bagatelle that barely covered her bus fare.

a bagatelle — noun phrase describing a trivial sum

The lawyer dismissed the parking fine as a bagatelle next to the company's legal costs.

Common collocations
  • mere bagatelle
  • a bagatelle
  • dismiss as a bagatelle
Synonyms
  • trifle

    more common in everyday speech; bagatelle is more formal

  • pittance

    focuses on inadequate pay rather than triviality

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

bagatelle (singular); a bagatelle

Usage Note

Most commonly used in the singular about money, often in dismissive contexts ('mere bagatelle', 'a bagatelle'). Also appears in literary or formal writing.

Common Mistakes

The bagatelle sum was five thousand dollars.
The sum of five thousand dollars was no bagatelle.
bagatelle always means a small, trivial amount, so a large sum cannot be a bagatelle.

2. a game, usually played on a slanted board with holes at one end, in which player

2.nounB2
Definition

a game, usually played on a slanted board with holes at one end, in which players use a cue or a spring-loaded stick to hit small balls into the holes for points.

Example

A worn bagatelle table sat in the corner of the old pub.

bagatelle table — the physical board used for the game

Sanjay's grandfather taught him how to play bagatelle during rainy afternoons in the village hall.

Common collocations
  • bagatelle table
  • play bagatelle
  • bagatelle board
  • bagatelle set
Synonyms
  • pinball

    modern electric version; bagatelle is the manual, 19th-century original

Grammar Patterns

the bagatelle (game); a bagatelle (board)

Usage Note

Bagatelle is a precursor to modern pinball. The term is most common in Britain and older texts. In the US, 'pinball' is much more frequent for the electric version.

3. a short, light piece of music, usually written for piano, that does not follow a

3.nounC1
Definition

a short, light piece of music, usually written for piano, that does not follow a strict or serious form and is meant to sound playful or elegant.

Example

Beethoven wrote a set of eleven bagatelles for piano, each lasting only a few minutes.

bagatelles for piano — musical context collocation

Olivia chose a charming bagatelle by Ligeti for her final piano exam.

Common collocations
  • bagatelle for piano
  • set of bagatelles
  • write a bagatelle
  • play a bagatelle
Synonyms
  • etude

    a study piece designed for technical practice; less about lightness than a bagatelle

  • intermezzo

    short piece placed between larger sections; similar length but different function

Antonyms
  • symphony

    a large-scale orchestral work, opposite in length and seriousness

Grammar Patterns

a bagatelle (by composer); bagatelles for [instrument]

Usage Note

In classical music, a bagatelle is a brief, usually light-hearted instrumental work. The form is most associated with Beethoven, who published three sets of bagatelles (Op. 33, 119, 126). This sense also extends to short literary sketches.

Common Mistakes

The orchestra performed a bagatelle for 45 minutes.
The orchestra performed a short bagatelle before the main symphony.
a bagatelle is by definition brief.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bagatelle, trifle, and pittance all refer to small amounts of money, but they carry different connotations. Bagatelle (from French, literally 'a small thing') is the most formal and literary of the three; it suggests something dismissed as trivial rather than lamented. Trifle is the everyday word — a friend might say 'it's only a trifle' about a minor inconvenience. Pittance focuses squarely on inadequate wages or allowances: a pittance is a sum that feels insultingly low for the effort given. Both bagatelle and trifle can extend to non-monetary trivial matters, while pittance is always financial. Use bagatelle in polished writing where you want a touch of elegance; use trifle in conversation; and use pittance when the emphasis is on unfair underpayment.

trifle ↗pittancebagatelle ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bagatelle table
  • bagatelle board
  • bagatelle set

Phrases

  • a mere bagatelle
  • no bagatelle

Prepositions

  • dismiss as a bagatelle

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

Borrowed from French 'bagatelle', which came from Italian 'bagatella' meaning 'a trifle, a small thing'. The Italian root may be linked to 'baga' (a kind of small fruit or berry). The word entered English in the 1600s referring to a trivial matter, and by the early 1800s it had also come to name both the table game and the short musical form.