1
as in minor
lacking importance
judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silly
lacking in seriousness or maturity
when asked by the waiter if we wanted anything else that evening, we made a frivolous request for free drinks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frivolous
Critics, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, argue that these settlements set a concerning precedent, potentially encouraging frivolous lawsuits against media organizations and leading to a chilling effect on press freedom.
—
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025
The other side: The group has been adept at filing complaints and lawsuits that make for good headlines, but it also has been rebuked in court for making frivolous arguments.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 8 Mar. 2025
Her fluffy, frivolous style works well for Isla, who is a giggly pretty princess most of the time but a powder keg of anger when threatened.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2025
The other side: The group has been adept at filing complaints and lawsuits that make for good headlines, but it also has been rebuked in court for making frivolous arguments.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 8 Mar. 2025
Her fluffy, frivolous style works well for Isla, who is a giggly pretty princess most of the time but a powder keg of anger when threatened.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frivolous
Adjective
-
Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Three adolescents and the bus driver only sustained minor injuries, while one child was badly hurt.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Moments that may seem silly or insignificant to others — like sharing a particular greeting, teasing each other in a familiar way or even speaking to each other in silly, baby-ish voices — can be great sources of comfort and familiarity for partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The industry has seen its fair share of terrible ideas, from the downright bizarre to the silly.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The Liberals' smallest lead was in a poll conducted by Innovative Research among 1,548 Canadian citizens, which showed the party with a lead of just 2 points, on 36 percent to the Conservatives' 34 percent—a lead within the poll's 3 percent margin of error.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Retail trade, which includes small and large clothing stores, lost 6,700 jobs, around 5,500 of which were not in department stores.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Oh boy, wacky antics, including vomiting and other goofy altercations!—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Monty tends to be very energetic and goofy, while Sam is far more chilled out.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Governed by a growth mindset devoted to the logic of disruption, moving fast and breaking things, a flourishing structure of feeling about AI and art history has sprung up on the grounds of very little AI-and-art-history to have feelings about.—
Sonja Drimmer,
Artforum,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Yet privacy notices can and do change with little notice.—
Abigail Dubiniecki,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
However, these attempts are futile, and such baseless rumors will ultimately be consigned to the dustbin of history.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Impeachment is seen as a largely futile effort, given the near-zero chance that at least 14 Senate Democrats would join Republicans in convicting and removing any of the judges.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s at risk The impact of an output such as calling a blueberry muffin a chihuahua may seem trivial, but consider the different kinds of technologies that use image recognition systems: An autonomous vehicle that fails to identify objects could lead to a fatal traffic accident.—
Anna Choi,
The Conversation,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The under-the-table payments at the center of the case, which involved sums of up to $100,000, now seem trivial in comparison to the rapidly escalating figures involved in today’s NIL economy.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Somewhere up there in Hoops Heaven, Stormin’ Norman Sloan is one giddy Gator who is almost certainly feeling validated and vindicated about the SEC’s basketball awakening.—
Mike Bianchi,
Orlando Sentinel,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Indian cricket legend Harmanpreet Kaur was euphoric, roaring loudly into the Mumbai sky and echoed by 15,000 giddy fans at the Brabourne Stadium.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frivolous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frivolous. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share