Describing Insignificance: English Vocabulary List

having no importance or connection with something

"This fact is irrelevant."

"The irrelevant comments from the audience member disrupted the speaker's flow and wasted valuable time that could have been used for better questions."

so small or insignificant that can be completely disregarded

"The difference is negligible."

"The negligible difference in quality between the expensive brand and the cheap brand made the price gap seem completely unreasonable to careful shoppers."

without any value or importance

"It is a trifling matter."

"The trifling amount of money that she owed him was not worth arguing about so he told her to forget it."

having no crucial or primary importance

"The item is noncritical."

"The noncritical items on the list could wait until next week because the team needed to focus on urgent problems."

not easily seen, observed, or perceived due to a lack of prominence

"The scratch is unnoticeable."

"The unnoticeable scratch on the brand new phone was tiny but it bothered him every time he looked at the screen."

not enough to attract attention or seem important

"The amount is inconsiderable."

"The inconsiderable cost of adding a salad to your meal is only two dollars so you might as well get it."

lacking any purpose or goal

"This argument is pointless."

"The pointless argument between the two brothers lasted for an hour and neither of them could remember what started it."

lacking significance or importance

"The loss is inconsequential."

"The inconsequential detail about what color napkins to use at the party was not worth arguing about at all."

having little value or importance

"He received a paltry sum."

"The paltry sum of money that the company offered as a settlement was insulting to the injured workers."

happening as a side effect or by chance rather than being the main purpose or focus

"The fee is incidental."

"The incidental music in the background of the movie added to the mood but you would not notice it."

lacking substance, solidity, or significance

"The evidence is unsubstantial."

"The unsubstantial evidence presented by the prosecution was not enough to convince the jury that the defendant was guilty."

having a size or significance so minute that makes it challenging to notice or appreciate

"The change is inappreciable."

"The inappreciable change in temperature was barely noticeable but it was enough to make her put on a jacket."

to reduce the value of something

"Using cheap materials will cheapen the product."

"Using low quality materials will cheapen the appearance of the final product significantly."

to consider someone or something as less important, valuable, or skillful than they actually are

"Do not underrate your own abilities."

"Do not underrate your own abilities because you are more talented than you think."

to lower the rank, status, or quality of something

"They will downgrade my seat."

"The airline decided to downgrade my seat to economy class without offering a refund."

to gradually decrease the effectiveness, confidence, or power of something or someone

"His words undermine trust."

"His constant criticism began to undermine her confidence and made her doubt her own abilities."

to reduce the importance, significance, or emphasis placed on something

"They de-emphasize tests."

"The school decided to de-emphasize grades and focus more on creative learning experiences."

to make something seem less important, significant, or serious than it actually is

"Do not trivialize problems."

"Do not trivialize serious problems because they can have significant consequences for everyone involved."