Frivolous — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈfri-və-ləs/ friv·o·lous

Meaning & Definition of Frivolous

Frivolous (adjective)

  1. of little weight or importance
  2. having no sound basis (as in fact or law)
  3. lacking in seriousness

Frivolous (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking importance

    "judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits"

    similar: fiddling, foolish, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial, unimportant, neither here nor there
    related: jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown
    opposite: big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty
    near: 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

  2. 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"

    similar: birdbrained, ditzy, dizzy, featherbrained, flighty, frothy, futile, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, light-minded, puerile, scatterbrained, scatty (chiefly British, informal), silly, yeasty
    related: fatuous, foolish, inane, nonsensical, thoughtless, witless, crazy, daffy, daft, fruity, exuberant, flippant, fluttery, giggly, happy, light, lighthearted, playful, sappy, shallow, superficial
    opposite: earnest, serious, serious-minded, sober, unfrivolous
    near: grave, melancholy, somber, thoughtful, dignified, heavy, no-nonsense, sedate, severe, solemn, staid

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Frivolous

The most common words with a similar meaning to Frivolous:

Chiefly British, informal: scatty
fiddling, foolish, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, negligible, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial, unimportant, birdbrained, ditzy, dizzy, featherbrained, flighty, frothy, futile, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, light-minded, puerile, scatterbrained, silly, yeasty, neither here nor there

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Frivolous

Words with the opposite meaning of Frivolous:

big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty, earnest, serious, serious-minded, sober

Related Words for Frivolous

jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown, fatuous, inane, nonsensical, thoughtless, witless, crazy, daffy, daft, fruity, exuberant, flippant, fluttery, giggly, happy, light, lighthearted, playful, sappy

Near Antonyms of Frivolous

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

Word Forms of Frivolous

Derived words: frivolously (adverb), frivolousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Frivolous

Middle English, from Latin frivolus

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Frivolous

What does "Frivolous" mean?

"Frivolous" means of little weight or importance. As an adjective, it is defined as: of little weight or importance. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Frivolous"?

Other words for "Frivolous" include fiddling, foolish, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little and Mickey Mouse. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Frivolous" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Frivolous"?

There are 68 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Frivolous". Common alternatives include fiddling, foolish, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor and minute.

What is the opposite of "Frivolous"?

Antonyms of "Frivolous" include big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful and momentous. Near antonyms include decisive, fatal, fateful and chief.

How do you use "Frivolous" in a sentence?

Examples of "Frivolous" in a sentence: "judges are getting sick of people bringing frivolous lawsuits"; "when asked by the waiter if we wanted anything else that evening, we made a frivolous request for free drinks".

Is "Frivolous" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Frivolous" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Frivolous"?

"Frivolous" is pronounced /ˈfri-və-ləs/ and divided into syllables as friv·o·lous.

What is the origin of the word "Frivolous"?

"Frivolous" comes from Middle English, from Latin frivolus. First known use: 15th century.