Trifling is an adjective meaning unimportant, trivial, or petty. It often describes matters of little consequence or value, and can imply disdain for something considered small or petty. Used in formal and literary contexts, it can carry a slightly judgmental or dismissive tone.
"The delay was due to trifling paperwork, not a real obstacle to the project."
"She dismissed his concerns as trifling and not worthy of attention."
"They argued over trifling details rather than addressing the main issue."
"In his performance, the critic labeled the minor errors as trifling blemishes."
Trifling comes from the noun trifling, which derives from Middle English triflingen, from the adjective triflich meaning petty or trifling, rooted in trifle ‘a trifle’ or ‘a toy’ from Old French trifle or Latin trifula ‘a broken piece, trifling matter.’ The sense evolved in Middle English as an adjective meaning small, slight, or petty, then extended to describe actions or items of little significance. By the 16th century, trifling commonly described things of minimal importance or value and, by extension, people who were trifling could be seen as frivolous or not to be taken seriously. In modern usage, trifling often carries a mild, judgmental tone, signaling that something is not worth serious consideration, sometimes with a slightly condemnatory undertone. First known uses surface in literary texts of the early Renaissance, where authors contrasted weighty matters with trifling concerns to underscore character judgments and social hierarchies.
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Words that rhyme with "Trifling"
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Pronounce as /ˈtraɪ.flɪŋ/. The first syllable has primary stress. Start with the 'tr' blend, then the diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'try', followed by /fl/ with a light, aspirated 'l' onset, and end with a short /ɪŋ/ nasal. Tip: make the 'fl' onset clean and avoid inserting a vowel between 'tri' and 'f'.
Common errors include pronouncing as /ˈtrɪ.flɪŋ/ with a short /ɪ/ in the first syllable or misplacing the /l/ by making it a hard /l/ onset after /f/. Another mistake is de-emphasizing the diphthong /aɪ/, producing a flatter /iː/ or /ɪ/ sound. Practice by elongating the /aɪ/ from "try" and keeping the /fl/ together, then finalize with a clean /ŋ/ nasal.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈtraɪ/ remains similar, with rhoticity affecting linking in sentences. US speakers may have a more fronted /ɪŋ/ at the end due to faster TPR. UK speakers maintain non-rhoticity; the /r/ is not pronounced after vowels. Australian English keeps a similar vowel quality but may be slightly more centralized in the /ɪŋ/ ending and a more pronounced vowel shift in the first syllable in some dialects.
The difficulty lies in the concise sequence: a strong initial /ˈtraɪ/ diphthong, a consonant cluster /fl/, and a final /ɪŋ/ nasal. The /r/ after /t/ can cause tension for non-rhotic speakers; the /aɪ/ diphthong requires a smooth glide from /a/ to /ɪ/. In fast speech, the /fl/ can blur and lead to a misarticulation like /trɪfɪŋ/ or /ˈtraɪlɪŋ/.
Trifling has a distinctive two-consonant onset cluster 'fl' after the diphthong and ends with a voiced nasal /ŋ/ that can be softened in rapid speech. The mental map is: strong primary stress on TRI-, then /fl/ with a quick link to /ɪŋ/. Emphasize the borderline between /fl/ and /ɪŋ/ to avoid merging into /flɪŋ/ or /tɹaɪflɪŋ/ accidentally.
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