25 uses
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Definition
not serious
- in behavior or attitude — as when acting silly or without appropriate seriousness
- in content — as when describing something as trivial or unimportant
- Externally, Grigory was cold, dignified and taciturn, and spoke, weighing his words, without frivolity.Book 3 — The Sensualists (4% in)
- He gathered only that the young man was frivolous, unruly, of violent passions, impatient, and dissipated, and that if he could only obtain ready money he would be satisfied, although only, of course, for a short time.Book 1 — The History Of A Family (20% in)
- Seeing this, the opponents of the elders declared that the sacrament of confession was being arbitrarily and frivolously degraded, though the continual opening of the heart to the elder by the monk or the layman had nothing of the character of the sacrament.Book 1 — The History Of A Family (83% in)
- A Liberal of the forties and fifties, a freethinker and atheist, he may have been led on by boredom or the hope of frivolous diversion.Book 1 — The History Of A Family (97% in)
- All the others would come from frivolous motives, perhaps insulting to the elder.Book 1 — The History Of A Family (98% in)
- And so a frivolous play upon words in such a connection is unpardonable and improper.Book 2 — An Unfortunate Gathering (47% in)
- But four thousand is not a sum to throw away on such frivolity.Book 3 — The Sensualists (33% in)
- Understand, Alexey, that if you return to the world, it must be to do the duty laid upon you by your elder, and not for frivolous vanity and worldly pleasures.Book 3 — The Sensualists (97% in)
- Their suspense was, from one point of view, almost frivolous, but even the most austere of the monks were affected by it.Book 4 — Lacerations (4% in)
- This Father Ferapont was that aged monk so devout in fasting and observing silence who has been mentioned already, as antagonistic to Father Zossima and the whole institution of "elders," which he regarded as a pernicious and frivolous innovation.Book 4 — Lacerations (7% in)
- Do not think my question frivolous; on the contrary, I have in asking the question a secret motive of my own, which I will perhaps explain to you later on, if it is God's will that we should become more intimately acquainted."Book 6 — The Russian Monk (46% in)
- Their question was frivolous and my answer was not clear; but the thought in it was to some extent right.Book 6 — The Russian Monk (85% in)
- I may add here, for myself personally, that I feel it almost repulsive to recall that event which caused such frivolous agitation and was such a stumbling-block to many, though in reality it was the most natural and trivial matter.Book 7 — Alyosha (7% in)
- Some of those present may perhaps have inwardly noticed it, only to reflect that the anticipation of decay and corruption from the body of such a saint was an actual absurdity, calling for compassion (if not a smile) for the lack of faith and the frivolity it implied.Book 7 — Alyosha (8% in)
- Yet, in spite of these edifying memories, it would be difficult to explain the frivolity, absurdity and malice that were manifested beside the coffin of Father Zossima.Book 7 — Alyosha (12% in)
- I admire your fasting and severities, but you speak lightly like some frivolous youth, fickle and childish.Book 7 — Alyosha (26% in)
- There was no frivolous and impatient expectation of miracles in his mind.Book 7 — Alyosha (33% in)
- He could not endure without mortification, without resentment even, that the holiest of holy men should have been exposed to the jeering and spiteful mockery of the frivolous crowd so inferior to him.Book 7 — Alyosha (35% in)
- But the question, "Who had founded Troy?" that is, what individuals, he could not answer, and even for some reason regarded the question as idle and frivolous.Book 10 — The Boys (8% in)
- "Listen, you frivolous young woman," Krassotkin began, getting up from the sofa, "can you swear by all you hold sacred in the world and something else besides, that you will watch vigilantly over the kids in my absence?Book 10 — The Boys (20% in)
- There was scarcely a trace of her former frivolity.Book 11 — Ivan (1% in)
- Alyosha had once noted with innocent amusement that, in spite of her illness, Madame Hohlakov had begun to be rather dressy—top-knots, ribbons, loose wrappers, had made their appearance, and he had an inkling of the reason, though he dismissed such ideas from his mind as frivolous.Book 11 — Ivan (9% in)
- I feel cross, but not very), that frivolous young man, would you believe it, seems to have taken it into his head to fall in love with me.Book 11 — Ivan (13% in)
- The figure of the young officer, frivolous and profligate, doing homage to true nobility and a lofty ideal, was shown in a very sympathetic light before us.Book 12 — A Judicial Error (44% in)
- The most precious, the most sacred guarantees for the destiny and future of Russian justice are presented to us in a perverted and frivolous form, simply to attain an object—to obtain the justification of something which cannot be justified.Book 12 — A Judicial Error (95% in)
There are no more uses of "frivolous" in The Brothers Karamazov.
Typical Usage
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