frivolous

friv·o·lous

adj \ˈfri-və-ləs\

Definition of FRIVOLOUS

1

a : of little weight or importance b : having no sound basis (as in fact or law) <a frivolous lawsuit>

2

a : lacking in seriousness b : marked by unbecoming levity

— friv·o·lous·ly adverb

— friv·o·lous·ness noun

Examples of FRIVOLOUS

1. She thinks window shopping is a frivolous activity.
2. <judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits>
3. She knew that people might think her frivolous, Kitty said, to talk to some saint when she had a cooking disaster, but that was what she really believed the saints were there for. —Alice Munro, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2001
4. As the Explorer quickly became the most popular SUV of all time … a number of lawsuits concerning the Firestone tires were filed, the first in 1992. But Ford and Firestone, like most companies in today's … society, tend to assume that the bulk of legal actions are frivolous. —Daniel Eisenberg, Time, 11 Sept. 2000
5. There is no frivolous decoration, no canned music, nothing but the essentials—well-worn cutlery and table linen, unpretentious glasses. —Peter Mayle, GQ, May 1998

Origin of FRIVOLOUS

Middle English, from Latin frivolus

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to FRIVOLOUS

Synonyms: fiddling, foolish, unimportant, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial

Antonyms: big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty

Related Words: jerkwater, one-horse; nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless; anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown

Near Antonyms: decisive, fatal, fateful; chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal; distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable; valuable, worthwhile, worthy; distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, preeminent, prestigious; famous, notorious, renowned; all-important, basic, essential, fundamental, key

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