trifle
trifle — noun
1. a cold sweet dessert served in layers, usually combining cake, fruit, custard, a
a cold sweet dessert served in layers, usually combining cake, fruit, custard, and cream in one bowl.
Lucía brought a large trifle with strawberries to the family picnic.
dessert noun: layered fruit-and-cake sweet
Bao chilled the trifle overnight so the cake could soak up the juice.
At the wedding buffet, guests lined up first for the lemon trifle.
Emily spooned trifle into glass cups before the children arrived.
用法筆記
Most common in British English. A trifle is normally presented as a layered dessert in a bowl or glass dish rather than as a cake or pastry you pick up by hand.
2. something so minor that it does not deserve much attention, worry, or money.
something so minor that it does not deserve much attention, worry, or money.
The missing spoon was a trifle compared with the broken water pipe.
a trifle = something too minor to worry about
Don't let one rude comment turn a trifle into a family argument.
To the judge, the late fee was a trifle beside the larger debt.
Faisal laughed and called the stain on his sleeve a trifle.
- major issue
emphasises real seriousness or importance
用法筆記
Often appears after words like 'mere' or 'just' when a speaker wants to play something down. It can describe an object, a problem, or an amount of money.
常見錯誤
trifle — adverb
1. by a small amount; slightly, especially before an adjective or adverb.
by a small amount; slightly, especially before an adjective or adverb.
I'm a trifle tired after carrying those boxes upstairs.
a trifle + adjective for slight degree
The soup tasted a trifle salty after the cook added more soy sauce.
Liang spoke a trifle too fast for the younger students.
The room felt a trifle warmer once the afternoon sun came in.
文法句型
a trifle + adjective
a trifle + adverb
用法筆記
This sense is mostly seen in the fixed phrase 'a trifle' before an adjective or adverb, often in slightly old-fashioned or literary English.
常見錯誤
trifle — verb
1. to act as if a person, problem, or duty does not matter very much.
to act as if a person, problem, or duty does not matter very much.
The company trifled with safety warnings until a worker was hurt.
trifle with + danger/problem = not take seriously
Never trifle with your sister's trust just to win a silly bet.
The mayor was accused of trifling with the town's water problem.
By delaying repairs again, the landlord trifled with the tenants' safety.
- heed
means to give serious attention to a warning or duty
文法句型
trifle with + person/problem/duty
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'with' and often used about serious things such as safety, feelings, or duty. It suggests careless disregard, not simple relaxation.
常見錯誤
2. to speak or behave in a playful, teasing, or careless way when the situation cal
to speak or behave in a playful, teasing, or careless way when the situation calls for seriousness.
While the coach explained the plan, two boys trifled in the back row.
intransitive use for playful, unserious behaviour
Salma laughed, but her brother kept trifling when the nurse asked a serious question.
The host trifled with the guests for a minute before revealing the prize.
Femi liked to trifle at dinner, copying his uncle's formal voice.
- focus
emphasises serious attention instead of playful behaviour
文法句型
trifle
trifle with + person
用法筆記
This sense is about joking or acting unseriously when attention is expected. Use verb/3 instead when the main idea is wasting time or money.
常見錯誤
3. to waste time or money on unimportant things, or to keep playing with an object
to waste time or money on unimportant things, or to keep playing with an object instead of getting on with the real task.
Gabriel trifled away the afternoon browsing old comic websites.
trifle away + time = waste it on small things
The team cannot trifle away its budget on chairs nobody needs.
Instead of packing, Wren trifled with the ribbon on the gift box.
Christopher trifled away his study hour arranging coins by size.
- apply oneself
means to work seriously instead of idling
文法句型
trifle away + time/money
trifle with + object
用法筆記
Often appears in 'trifle away' for time or money, or with 'with' when someone handles an object idly. Unlike verb/2, the focus is on waste or idle handling, not joking talk.