a trifling amount

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a trifling amount" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a small or insignificant quantity of something, often in a context where the amount is not worth much consideration. Example: "The fee for the service was a trifling amount compared to the benefits it provided."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Books

Business

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

It is not a trifling amount – more than the average UK house price and enough to buy a chocolate box cottage with acres of land in Northumberland.

The Guardian - Business

There is some explicit sex here, quite a few photographs of genitals and a trifling amount of bondage, but the same publisher's "Mapplethorpe" makes "Peek" look like the raunchier daydreams of Little Bo Peep.

The New York Times - Books

[C7.] An Untapped Immigrant Market The big Americans banks have captured only a trifling amount of the business of handling immigrants' remittances of money back home, according to a report by a nonprofit research group.

The New York Times

Several Conference teams have spent vastly more than that in an effort to break into League Two, and it just does not sit right that such a trifling amount can not only buy you a professional football team, but one good enough to put the skids under Wigan, Arsenal, and Aston Villa.

The Guardian - Sport

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

A believable rise of, say, 25percentt in China's imports from Japan, over a course of years, would help Japanese gross domestic product to grow by an extra 0.3percentt -- no trifling amount in an era of economic shrinkage.

The New York Times

The trifling amount of a parking fine is worth paying for the greater convenience.

WikiHow

per annum, finds that we practically prohibit from our consumption every important article which it produces except to the trifling amount of 300,000l.

The Economist

And since I'm trying to be honest here and confess everything, sometimes after eating even that trifling amount I would go to the men's room and not throw up, but smoke an expensive cigar until the feeling passed, if it had existed in the first place.

The New Yorker

"Although I know that you have spent a tremendous amount of your time and that of other people to try to improperly save trifling amounts such as 75 cents a day in spring training rooming allowances," Miller wrote, "still I cannot believe you would deliberately tell untruths to the players in order to avoid paying a $100 bet which you lost".

The New York Times - Sports

His other books include "Of Time, Work and Leisure" (1962), in which he contended that there was no leisure, or only trifling amounts of it, in the United States.

The New York Times - Arts

Carnegie felt that even the poor could be shown that public giving, which benefits the masses, is "more valuable to them than if scattered among them through the course of many years of trifling amounts".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a trifling amount", ensure the context clearly indicates that the amount being described is genuinely small and unimportant. Overuse can diminish its impact, so reserve it for situations where the insignificance is noteworthy.

Common error

Avoid using "a trifling amount" when the quantity is actually significant or has important consequences. This can create confusion or undermine your message by downplaying something that warrants more attention.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a trifling amount" functions as a determiner phrase modifying a noun. It specifies the quantity of something, emphasizing that it is small and insignificant. Ludwig AI examples showcase its use in various contexts, from finances to abstract concepts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Sport

5%

Books

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a trifling amount" is used to describe a small and insignificant quantity. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and suitable for a range of contexts, though overuse can diminish its impact. Alternatives include "a trivial amount" and "a negligible amount". Remember to use it judiciously to effectively convey the insignificance you intend.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a trivial amount

Replaces "trifling" with "trivial", suggesting something unimportant or insignificant.

a negligible amount

Replaces "trifling" with "negligible", emphasizing that the amount is so small it can be ignored.

a small quantity

Uses "quantity" instead of "amount", offering a more formal tone and emphasizing the measurable aspect.

an insignificant amount

Substitutes "trifling" with "insignificant", highlighting the lack of importance of the amount.

a minimal amount

Replaces "trifling" with "minimal", stressing that the amount is the least possible.

a paltry sum

Uses "paltry sum" to suggest the amount is not only small but also worthless or contemptible.

a drop in the bucket

An idiomatic expression signifying that the amount is so small it makes no noticeable difference.

a shade

Suggests the amount is so small that it barely makes a difference.

a jot

An idiom which suggest a very small amount.

next to nothing

An idiom meaning almost no amount.

FAQs

How can I use "a trifling amount" in a sentence?

Use "a trifling amount" to describe a quantity so small it's hardly worth considering. For example, "The error in the calculation was "a trifling amount" and didn't affect the final result."

What can I say instead of "a trifling amount"?

You can use alternatives like "a trivial amount", "a negligible amount", or "an insignificant amount" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "a trifling amount" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "a trifling amount" might sound slightly informal or literary. In very formal contexts, consider using more neutral alternatives like "a minimal amount" or "a negligible amount".

What's the difference between "a trifling amount" and "a small amount"?

"A small amount" simply indicates a quantity that is not large. "A trifling amount" implies that the small quantity is also unimportant or insignificant. The difference lies in the connotation of unimportance.