trivial
Intermediatezipf 3.66Pronunciation
/ˈtrɪviəl/(TRIV-ee-ul)
Part of speech
adjectiveneutral
Chinese
微不足道的;琐碎的(缺乏重要性或意义)
Definition
Of little value or importance; unworthy of serious attention.
Word family
- trivially/ˈtrɪviəli/(adv)无关紧要地
- triviality/ˌtrɪviˈælɪti/(n)无关紧要的事
Collocations
- trivial matter
- trivial detail
- trivial complaint
- seem trivial
- trivialise an issue
Examples
- 1.Don't waste the meeting on trivial details — save it for decisions that actually require group input. (management)
- 2.What looks trivial at the start can become a much bigger issue if it's ignored. (risk)
Synonyms
- minor/ˈmaɪnər/— less important; often relative
- petty/ˈpɛti/— of little significance; also means small-minded
- insignificant/ˌɪnsɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/— too small to be of consequence
Etymology
from Latin "trivialis" = common, commonplace — from "trivium" = three roads meeting (a busy intersection, thus "ordinary")