Home › Glossary › Letter F

fribble

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A foolish, weak, or trivial person lacking seriousness or purpose.

Detailed Definition
The fribble appears mainly in satirical verse as a symbol of emptiness and idle refinement. Poets used the term to mock those absorbed in trivial pleasures while ignoring moral or intellectual substance. Its comic tone makes it effective for social critique, exposing the shallowness of fashionable society and the waste of human potential through frivolity.
Example
Example in poetry:
A fribble frets at trifles while the world burns past his door; The term fribble fits a soul too thin for weighty thought; Poets use fribble to mock the cult of idle ease; Each fribble floats through life untouched by consequence
Additional Notes
Fribble denotes triviality rather than outright vice. Poets use it to mock characters who waste life on insignificant concerns, often in social or moral satire. The term suggests weakness of character more than malice, making it useful for subtle critique. Fribble figures highlight cultural fears about idleness, decadence, and the erosion of purpose.
Also Known As
Trifler Noodle Lightweight Fitterel fop
Skip to main content