trifle

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English trufle, later trifle,^[2][3][4] borrowed from Old French trufle (“mockery, deceit”),^[2][5][6][7] a parallel form or diminutive of trufe (“deceit, gibe”).^[2][5][3][6] The Anglo-Norman noun is recorded from about 1165–80, meaning a deception or lie, a trivial or nonsensical matter, and a trinket.^[8] The verb is inherited from Middle English truflen, borrowed from Old French truffler (“to make sport of, deceive”), and partly from the noun.^[2][5][7][9] The French word corresponds to Italian truffa (“cheating”), Old Occitan trufa, Spanish trufa and Portuguese trufa (“a gibe”),^[2][7][10] and its origin is unknown.^{[2][6][7][11]} An old explanation identified it with truffle, as a thing of small worth, and Skeat and Weekley accepted it;^[12][10][5] the OED finds no connection of sense, and Ayto denies any link.^[2][13] The OED explains trifle as the regular later form of trufle; the spelling with i appears by about 1390.^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A false or idle tale, told to deceive or to amuse: before 1250, in the Ancrene Riwle,^[2] probably before 1200 in Barnhart's dating.^[3]

Semantic evolution

From an idle story or lie (obsolete after 1681) the noun moved to a matter of little importance (c. 1290) and a trinket or knick-knack (1375).^[2][5] Weekley wondered whether the later sense had been influenced by trivial.^[10] In the 16th century it was used for a light literary or musical work (1578) and a small sum of money (c. 1595).^[2] From 1722 it meant any small amount, and a trifle as an adverb, "somewhat", is recorded from 1859.^[2] As a dessert it first appears in Florio's dictionary (1598), for sweetened boiled cream, close to a fool;^[2][5] the modern trifle of sponge, fruit, custard and cream is first described by Hannah Glasse in 1755.^[2] A kind of pewter has been called trifle since 1610.^[2] The verb first meant to lie or joke in order to deceive or amuse (c. 1305); from about 1400 it also meant to waste time, and by 1460 to toy with an object.^[2][5] The phrase trifle with, to treat someone without seriousness, dates from 1523.^[2] Johnson (1755) defined the noun as a thing of no moment.^[14] In American slang triflin' has meant behaving deceitfully, especially being unfaithful, since the late 19th century.^[15]

Timeline

• before 1250 – a false or idle tale.^[2]
• c. 1290 – a matter of little importance.^[2]
• c. 1305 – verb, to lie or joke in order to deceive or amuse.^[2]
• 1375 – a trinket, toy or knick-knack.^[2]
• c. 1390 – the spelling trifle.^[3]
• before 1400 – verb, to waste time idly.^[2]
• 1523 – trifle with, to treat without seriousness.^[2]
• 1578 – a light literary or artistic work.^[2][5]
• 1598 – a dessert of sweetened boiled cream.^[2]
• 1610 – a pewter of medium hardness.^[2]
• 1755 – the dessert of sponge, fruit, custard and cream.^[2]
• 1859 – a trifle, somewhat.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A thing of little value or importance: Don't let such trifles spoil your day.^[16][4]
2. a trifle: a little, somewhat: The soup is a trifle salty.^[16][2]
3. (British) A cold dessert of sponge cake soaked in sherry or fruit juice, layered with fruit or jelly, custard and cream.^[16][2]
4. A cheap trinket or bauble.^[4][2]
5. A pewter of medium hardness, or articles made of it.^[16][2]
6. (obsolete, 1250–1681) A false or idle story.^[2][4]

Verb

1. trifle with: to treat someone or something without seriousness or respect: She felt he had trifled with her feelings.^[16][4][2]
2. To spend time idly; to dawdle.^[2][4]
3. To toy or fiddle with something: He trifled with his pen throughout the meeting.^[2][16]
4. trifle away: to waste time or money.^[2][16]

Word family

• trifler

Related words

• truffle
• trivial

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
4. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ a b c d Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
9. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
10. ^ a b c Weekley, Ernest (1921), An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, London: John Murray
11. ^ Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
12. ^ Skeat, Walter W. (1911), A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, new ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
13. ^ Ayto, John (2005), Word Origins: The Secret Histories of English Words from A to Z, 2nd ed., London: A & C Black
14. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
15. ^ Green, Jonathon (2010), Green's Dictionary of Slang, London: Chambers; digital ed. 2016–, https://greensdictofslang.com
16. ^ a b c d e f g Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins