All 3 Uses of
trifle
in
The Tempest
- For every trifle are they set upon me:
Scene 2.2 *trifle = thing of small importance
- But this is trifling; And all the more it seeks to hide itself, The bigger bulk it shows.†
Scene 3.1
- Whe'er thou be'st he or no, Or some enchanted trifle to abuse me, As late I have been, I not know: thy pulse Beats, as of flesh and blood; and, since I saw thee, Th' affliction of my mind amends, with which, I fear, a madness held me: this must crave,— An if this be at all—a most strange story.†
Scene 5.1
Definitions:
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(1)
(trifle as in: a trifling matter) something of small importance; or a small quantity
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(2)
(trifle with as in: trifle with her affections) to treat somebody or something thoughtlessly or without respect
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, a trifle can refer to a kind of dessert. In classic literature, trifling can be a synonym for small talk.