trifles
/ˈtraɪ.fəl/ (bre, ipa) · [trˈaɪfəlz] /ˈtraɪ.fəl/ (ame, ipa) · [trˈaɪfəlz] /ˈtrī-fəl How to pronounce trifle (audio)/ (ame, mw)
trifles — noun
1. cold layered desserts made from cake, fruit, creamy custard, and whipped cream.
cold layered desserts made from cake, fruit, creamy custard, and whipped cream.
The cafe serves trifles in small glass bowls after Sunday lunch.
plural dessert noun
Grandma chilled two strawberry trifles before the family came over.
The children topped their trifles with extra cream and toasted almonds.
At the hotel buffet, mini trifles disappeared before the pies did.
文法句型
serve trifles
make trifles
用法筆記
Usually plural when several servings are meant. Often served in glass bowls at parties, buffets, or family meals.
2. small objects or concerns that are not worth much attention.
small objects or concerns that are not worth much attention.
The committee argued about trifles while the real budget problem grew.
argue about + trifles
Do not fill your suitcase with trifles from every airport shop.
Talia brushed aside such trifles and focused on the broken pipe.
After the storm, broken cups and other trifles covered the kitchen floor.
- details
focuses on minor points rather than physical objects
- odds and ends
informal and especially common for small miscellaneous objects
- minutiae
more formal and usually refers to tiny details
- essentials
things that truly matter or are genuinely needed
文法句型
argue about trifles
dismiss trifles
用法筆記
Often plural and dismissive, especially when contrasted with a larger worry. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about importance, not food.
trifles — adverb
1. by a small amount; just a little.
by a small amount; just a little.
The room felt trifles warmer after Karim closed the window.
trifles + adjective
Harper looked trifles nervous before the piano exam began.
The soup is trifles too salty for the children tonight.
We arrived trifles late, yet the play had not started.
- slightly
the normal modern equivalent
- a little
more conversational and less literary
- marginally
more formal and often used in measured comparisons
文法句型
trifles + adjective
trifles + adverb
用法筆記
Old-fashioned and mainly placed before an adjective or adverb. Modern everyday English usually prefers slightly or a little.
trifles — verb
- triflespresent simple I / you / we / they
- trifleses3rd person singular
- triflesing-ing form
- triflesedpast simple
1. to handle a person, warning, or issue as if it does not really matter.
to handle a person, warning, or issue as if it does not really matter.
Any boss who trifles with worker safety should lose the contract.
trifle with + noun phrase
Ritu never trifles with family advice, even in private.
The judge warned the boys not to trifle with school property.
No wise parent trifles with a child's fever after midnight.
- dismiss
stresses rejecting something as unimportant
- belittle
suggests making something seem smaller or less serious
- make light of
more idiomatic and often used for serious matters
- respect
to treat a person or matter as worthy of care
- take seriously
to give proper weight to a person, risk, or warning
文法句型
trifle with + noun phrase
not to be trifled with
用法筆記
Commonly followed by with before the person or thing treated lightly. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense belittles the object, while sense 3 wastes time.
常見錯誤
2. to speak or act in a playful, careless way when more seriousness is needed.
to speak or act in a playful, careless way when more seriousness is needed.
During the interview, Christopher trifled instead of answering the question clearly.
intransitive use in a serious situation
The host kept trifling while the audience waited for the real news.
Pim trifles whenever a conversation becomes too serious at dinner.
The minister refused to trifle at a meeting about flood damage.
- jest
more literary and focused on joking speech
- kid around
informal and lighter in tone
- fool around
informal and can suggest childish behaviour
- speak seriously
to keep an appropriate tone when the subject matters
文法句型
trifle during a serious occasion
keep trifling
用法筆記
Usually intransitive and often suggests an unserious tone in a serious setting. Distinguish from sense 1: the focus here is manner of speaking or behaving, not disregard for an object.
常見錯誤
3. to let time pass in idle or pointless activity instead of doing what matters.
to let time pass in idle or pointless activity instead of doing what matters.
Instead of packing, Harper trifled in the garden until sunset.
idle activity before needed work
The clerks trifled all morning and finished none of the orders.
We cannot trifle when the train leaves in twenty minutes.
Rachid trifled away the afternoon at the card table.
- idle
neutral and focused on doing nothing useful
- dawdle
suggests moving or working too slowly
- waste time
the plain modern equivalent
- hurry
to move quickly because time matters
- get on with
to start or continue the necessary task
文法句型
trifle while others wait
trifle away + time expression
用法筆記
Often intransitive, but away can be added when the wasted thing is time itself. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about idling, not joking.