Frivol

/ˈfrɪvəl/ verb

Definition

To behave frivolously or without serious purpose; to act in a lighthearted or trivial manner.

Etymology

Back-formation from 'frivolous,' likely influenced by verb formation patterns. Emerged in the 17th-18th centuries as people created a verb from the existing adjective.

Kelly Says

The verb 'frivol' is actually quite rare in modern English, but Jane Austen and her contemporaries used it to describe the behavior of wealthy young people who had the luxury to 'frivol away' their time without consequence.

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