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# trifle

«trifle» in Mova's judaism dictionary: **A cold dessert made of layers of sponge cake, fruit or…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

noun (a trifle, trifles; trifle — uncountable as a dessert); verb (trifle, trifles, trifled, trifling — with «with»); adverb phrase «a trifle»

### meaning for a pupil

1) A cold dessert made of layers of sponge cake, fruit or jelly, custard and cream, popular in the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#m1)

2) Something small and unimportant. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#m2)

3) (in «a trifle») A little, slightly: «a trifle tired». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#m3)

4) (in «trifle with») To treat someone or something without enough respect or seriousness. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life trifle is a party and Christmas dessert in many British, Irish, Australian and NZ homes. In stories, «a trifle» as an adverb sounds old-fashioned or polite: «a trifle cold». «Not to be trifled with» warns that someone or something is serious or dangerous. Phrases: «a trifle», «not to be trifled with», «strawberry trifle».

### examples

- ()f the Sefer Yetzirah II little need be said ; it abounds in trifles, contradictions and repetitions. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x1)
- Grandma made a big trifle for the party. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x2)
- The trifle had layers of jelly, custard and cream. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x3)
- Don't worry about such trifles. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x4)
- The soup was a trifle too salty. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x5)
- The old king was not a man to be trifled with. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x6)
- It cost only a trifle, so I bought it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x7)
- (informal) That's a trifle unfair, isn't it? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x8)
- But the dwarfs were not to be trifled with. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/#x9)

### note

As a dessert, it can be countable («two trifles») or uncountable («some trifle»). Adjective: «trifling» (unimportant). «A trifle» meaning «slightly» is formal or old-fashioned; children usually say «a bit».

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «trifle» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/trifle/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.