What does bagatelle mean?
A bagatelle is something of little value or importance — a trifle. The word is most often used dismissively or ironically, as in calling a large sum of money 'a mere bagatelle' to someone wealthy, or brushing off a mistake as a bagatelle. Beyond this figurative sense, bagatelle has two more concrete meanings: it names a short, light piece of music, typically for piano — Beethoven's bagatelles, including the beloved "Für Elise", are the best-known examples — and it refers to a traditional tabletop game resembling billiards, played on a narrow table fitted with hoops and pins, popular in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The word comes from French, borrowed ultimately from Italian, where it suggested a small trinket or jest. In contemporary English, the figurative sense dominates: to call something a bagatelle is to declare it trivial, though often with a touch of wit rather than outright contempt.
nounA thing of little value or importance; a trifle. Also, a game resembling billiards played on a narrow table with hoops and pins, and, by extension, a short light piece of music.
- A thing of little value or significance; a trifle.
- A short, light piece of music, especially for piano.
- A game resembling billiards, played on a narrow table with hoops, pins, and balls.
"The disputed sum was a mere bagatelle compared with the company's annual revenue."
"To a billionaire, a million dollars is a mere bagatelle."
"Brahms composed several bagatelles for solo piano late in his career."
The plural is standard and regular. It appears most naturally in the musical sense, as in a published set of pieces, and occasionally for multiple trifling matters.
"Beethoven's bagatelles for piano remain staples of the recital repertoire."
"Für Elise" — one of the most famous piano pieces ever written — is technically just a bagatelle: Beethoven's own label for a small, light throwaway tune.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bagatelle
Bagatelle entered English from French in the early seventeenth century, borrowed from the French bagatelle meaning a trifle or jest. The French word itself derives from the Italian bagatella, a term for a small thing or trinket, likely connected to the Italian bagattino, a small coin. The musical sense arose in the eighteenth century when composers used 'bagatelle' to title short, light instrumental pieces, while the billiards-like game took the name from its playful, trifling character.
How bagatelle is actually used
In modern usage the dominant sense is figurative — something dismissed as trivial or unimportant, often with the phrase 'a mere bagatelle'. The musical sense is well established thanks to composers such as Beethoven and Brahms. The table-game sense is now largely historical or British, surviving mainly in references to 'bagatelle boards'. The word carries a slightly literary, sometimes ironic tone.
Easily confused with bagatelle
A bagel is a dense ring-shaped bread roll, while a bagatelle is a trivial matter, a parlor game, or a short light musical piece — the two merely share a similar opening sound.