Synonyms

trivialize

American

[triv-ee-uh-lahyz] / ˈtrɪv i əˌlaɪz /

especially British, trivialise

verb (used with object)

trivialized, trivializing

to make trivial; cause to appear unimportant, trifling, etc.

trivialize British

/ ˈtrɪvɪəˌlaɪz /

verb

(tr) to cause to seem trivial or more trivial; minimize

he trivialized his injuries

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does trivialize mean? Trivialize means to cause something to appear unimportant or insignificant, as in Gabe tried to trivialize the D he got in math, but his parents still grounded him.Trivialize is a verb form of the adjective trivial. It’s often used by the person being trivialized, rather than by the person doing the trivializing.Example: Do not trivialize the effort that was put into my project.

Other Word Forms

trivialization noun

Etymology

Origin of trivialize

First recorded in 1840–50; trivial + -ize

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

DR: We certainly do not want to give off the impression that we tolerate any bit of misinformation or harmful content or trivialize the impact it has, especially to those people that it does affect.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024

He said those kinds of teaching methods are inappropriate, trivialize the experience of the victims, and are disproportionately traumatic for students of color.

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2024

"It saddens us that someone with his reach and status would seem to trivialize the incident that led to such an outcome and heap further pain and suffering upon the family and friends of Anthony."

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2023

And while its intensity and dedication is easy to dismiss or trivialize, its rise has reshaped how we view — and, by extension, the power of — a TV genre that’s typically not taken seriously.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2023

Visual analysis can help us to appreciate the beauty of a masterpiece, but we must be careful not to use a formulaic approach that would trivialize it.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023