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Trifle vs Futile - What's the difference?

trifle | futile |

As a noun trifle

is an english dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.

As a verb trifle

is to deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.

As an adjective futile is

incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.

trifle

English

Noun

  • An English dessert made from a mixture of thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, jelly and whipped cream.
  • An insignificant amount.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
  • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=17 citation , passage=Commander Birch was a trifle uneasy when he found there was more than a popple on the sea; it was, in fact, distinctly choppy. Strictly speaking, he ought to have been following up the picket–boat, but he was satisfied that the circumstances were sufficiently urgent for him to take risks.}}
  • Anything that is of little importance or worth.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmation strong / As proofs of holy writ.
  • * Drayton
  • with such poor trifles playing
  • A particular kind of pewter.
  • (uncountable) Utensils made from this particular kind of pewter.
  • Synonyms

    See also: . * (insignificant amount) iota, jot, scrap, whit * (thing of little importance or worth) bagatelle, minor detail, whiffle

    Derived terms

    * a trifle

    See also

    * ("trifle" on Wikipedia)

    Verb

    (trifl)
  • To deal with something as if it were of little importance or worth.
  • To act, speak, or otherwise behave with jest.
  • To inconsequentially toy with something.
  • To squander or waste.
  • Anagrams

    * * ----

    futile

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Incapable of producing results; useless; not successful; not worth attempting.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or
  • *
  • *:There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.Stewards, carrying cabin trunks, swarm in the corridors. Passengers wander restlessly about or hurry, with futile energy, from place to place.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 15, author=Marc Higginson, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Tottenham , passage=Goals from Steven Pienaar, Andros Townsend, Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane sealed the win, but Rubin Kazan's 1-1 draw against PAOK Salonika rendered Spurs' efforts futile .}}

    Synonyms

    * ineffectual * unavailing * vain * idle * fruitless * See also

    Antonyms

    * effectual * effective