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
Legal experts derided the lawsuit as frivolous and laughable, and CBS defended the newsmagazine and its editorial judgment on First Amendment grounds.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
Meanwhile, on a more frivolous note, Corriere dedicated a piece to the wedding’s security details.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 June 2025
The trial court, however, refused to consider the defendants' request on the basis that there was no evidence that the plaintiff filed his action was either frivolous or intended to harass the defendants.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Altman changes his protagonist to a subsistence farmer who watches people have ever more frivolous jobs – less physical work, less concrete roles, more creative noodling and more flexibility.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 30 June 2025
Meanwhile, on a more frivolous note, Corriere dedicated a piece to the wedding’s security details.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 June 2025
The trial court, however, refused to consider the defendants' request on the basis that there was no evidence that the plaintiff filed his action was either frivolous or intended to harass the defendants.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Altman changes his protagonist to a subsistence farmer who watches people have ever more frivolous jobs – less physical work, less concrete roles, more creative noodling and more flexibility.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for frivolous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frivolous
Adjective
-
Besides the home advantage, Pia Sundhage’s side had a minor edge on goal difference, which meant a draw would be enough for them.—
Neel Shelat,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
Right now, a handful of attorneys are exploiting our legal system, filing thousands of cookie-cutter lawsuits against businesses for minor technical violations.—
Aaron Hichman,
Mercury News,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
This perky, self-aware, sarcastic and downright silly show caters to both the more traditional Goodspeed audiences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
-
Green Lantern is earnest and bright and, yeah, incredibly silly and a little embarrassing.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Deforestation and insufficient small prey force birds to migrate to other areas.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
The local government of the small and far-from-wealthy hometown of Pope Leo XIV has voted to acquire the former Robert Prevost’s childhood home as a future museum.—
Howard Husock,
National Review,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Through goofy quips, energetic displays of enthusiasm, and consistent perseverance, Derek continues to push himself and his classmates toward a productive (and silly) semester of learning.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
Despite his affectionate nature and goofy charm, no one ever came to reclaim him—and no one has shown any interest in him since.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Map out revenue producing divisions by their profit and loss numbers, evaluate direct margins for the division, identify the weakest division that perpetually makes little or no direct margin and sacrifice them.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
But most of the middle part is missing, and there’s little to explain how the event unfolded from one stage to the next.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Abandoning a cash cow for an unproven idea is not a trivial undertaking.—
Zain Jaffer,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
-
Barbie; Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning; and F1: The Movie are intentionally trivial.—
Armond White,
National Review,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
For the latter, Robinson stopped singing at one point and, with deadpan delivery, suggested the only thing that helped with his mental health struggles was a Brazilian butt lift, before shaking his rear for the giddy crowd.—
jsonline.com,
jsonline.com,
4 July 2025
-
As triumphant as the album is, Kesha sounds even giddier when speaking about it.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Frivolous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frivolous. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share