1
as in minor
lacking importance
why spend so much time on trivial decisions, like whether the soda should be regular or diet?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slight
so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention
figured that restaurant customers wouldn't notice such a trivial surcharge on their bill
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 trivial
Think of trivial consumer items like novelty toys or single-use plastic trinkets.
—
James Broughel, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
The biggest reason: New York’s discovery law allows cases to be dismissed even for trivial, fixable discovery violations.
—Jane Manning, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
If anything, becoming a weird little guy, by my definition, is about rejecting the despair that leads down those kinds of regressive paths, and daring to care about something, even — and perhaps especially — if that something might seem kind of dumb or trivial to the outside world.
—James Factora, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
From the trivial stuff like juggling a million school apps and remembering which day is pajama day to the massive, unrelenting mental load of keeping everyone fed, safe, and happy.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trivial
James Broughel, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
The biggest reason: New York’s discovery law allows cases to be dismissed even for trivial, fixable discovery violations.
—Jane Manning, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2025
If anything, becoming a weird little guy, by my definition, is about rejecting the despair that leads down those kinds of regressive paths, and daring to care about something, even — and perhaps especially — if that something might seem kind of dumb or trivial to the outside world.
—James Factora, Them., 28 Mar. 2025
From the trivial stuff like juggling a million school apps and remembering which day is pajama day to the massive, unrelenting mental load of keeping everyone fed, safe, and happy.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trivial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trivial
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 other family members, two children and one 19-year-old, suffered minor wounds.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Dawn came on chilly with a slight overcast and a light breeze.—
Jeffrey A. Brunk,
Outdoor Life,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The rear camera's OIS yields mostly smooth video, but there's some slight bumpiness here and there.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Even the smallest black dot of mold can affect your health by causing respiratory illnesses or triggering certain allergic reactions from breathing it in constantly.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Some combination of bad staff work and bad judgment on her part led Whitmer to be used as a political prop who lent some nominal bipartisanship to an episode that Democrats would very much like Trump to have sole ownership of.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are nominal political outsiders, regular critics of the Democratic establishment and proud progressives who are beloved by leftwing base voters — qualities that have advantages in today’s political environment.—
David M. Drucker,
Boston Herald,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There were little tiny water bubbles around each of them.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Gone are most of the toggle switches (and the little safety protrusions that accompanied them) on the dashboard, with the exception of one for changing between drive, reverse, and neutral, plus another to switch between drive modes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Image In Davao, Mr. Duterte remains widely popular, remembered for cracking down on problems like drugs, petty crime and violence.—
Aie Balagtas See,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Where Hub once pursued petty criminals, he’s now charged with rounding up escaped demons by the Devil himself.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Everything else is unimportant compared to being honest about your love to people.—
David Chiu,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
-
In future decades and centuries, economic archaeologists will marvel that what was so unimportant was taken so seriously.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Even if the missing evidence is insignificant or duplicative, the prosecutor’s prior statement of readiness is invalidated, the clock is considered to have never stopped, and in many cases has by then run out, and the case is dismissed.—
Mimi Rocah,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Turkish drone losses in the Middle East in recent months were not insignificant, especially considering the losses spanned at least four indigenous drone types.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trivial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trivial. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share