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frivols

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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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

To act in a silly, idle, or wasteful manner, frittering away time; in verse, this verb conveys a tone of lightheartedness or moral critique regarding the misuse of one's energy or attention.

Detailed Definition
This is a rare literary verb related to “frivolous.” In the poem, it describes the rich man’s carefree, wasteful drifting through the day rather than any serious work or purpose.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He frivols through the livelong day” uses frivols as a verb meaning behaves frivolously; “While courtiers frivol” can satirize idle privilege; The verb gives playful movement to moral criticism; A modern example: “He frivols online while the deadline darkens.”
Additional Notes
“frivols” is an uncommon verb in modern reading, and the line “He frivols through the livelong day” uses it in a way many readers would need to look up.; Found in the poem, The Rich Man by Franklin P. Adams
Also Known As
trivialities trifles frivolities light matters
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