First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1drivel
verb driv·el \ˈdri-vəl\
: to talk in a very foolish or silly way
driv·eled or driv·elleddriv·el·ing or driv·el·ling\-v(ə-)liŋ\
Full Definition of DRIVEL
intransitive verb
1
: to let saliva dribble from the mouth : slaver
2
: to talk stupidly and carelessly
— driv·el·er \-v(ə-)lər\ noun
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Origin of DRIVEL
Middle English, from Old English dreflian; perhaps akin to Old Norse draf malt dregs
2drivel
noun
: foolish writing or speech
Full Definition of DRIVEL
1
archaic : drool 1
2
: nonsense
See drivel defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of DRIVEL
14th century
Related to DRIVEL
- Synonyms
- applesauce [slang], balderdash, baloney (also boloney), beans, bilge, blah (also blah-blah), blarney, blather, blatherskite, blither, bosh, bull [slang], bunk, bunkum (or buncombe), claptrap, codswallop [British], crapola [slang], crock, nonsense, drool, fiddle, fiddle-faddle, fiddlesticks, flannel [British], flapdoodle, folderol (also falderal), folly, foolishness, fudge, garbage, guff, hogwash, hokeypokey, hokum, hoodoo, hooey, horsefeathers [slang], humbug, humbuggery, jazz, malarkey (also malarky), moonshine, muck, nerts [slang], nuts, piffle, poppycock, punk, rot, rubbish, senselessness, silliness, slush, stupidity, taradiddle (or tarradiddle), tommyrot, tosh, trash, trumpery, twaddle
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