drivel
/ˈdrɪv(ə)l
/noun [mass noun]
Nonsense: don’t talk such drivel!...
- Now we'll see the difference between banal mass-market drivel and true untutored garbage.
- Such anthropomorphic drivel is codswallop, no matter who says it.
- I'd hand-write sheets and sheets of inane drivel and daily nonsense to all and sundry.
Synonyms
nonsense, twaddle, claptrap, balderdash, gibberish, rubbish, mumbo jumbo
informal rot, tommyrot, poppycock, phooey, hot air, eyewash, piffle, garbage, tripe, waffle, bosh, bull, bunk, blah, hogwash, baloney
British informal cobblers, codswallop, cock, stuff and nonsense, tosh, double Dutch
North American informal flapdoodle, blathers, wack, bushwa, applesauce
informal, dated bunkum
vulgar slang crap, bullshit, bollocks, balls
North American vulgar slang crapola
Australian/New Zealand vulgar slang bulldust
verb (drivels, drivelling, drivelled; US drivels, driveling, driveled) [no object]
1Talk nonsense: he was drivelling on about the glory days...
- It is a bit weird that the judges are constantly drivelling about innovation and blah.
- Boredom descended once again as the match drivelled towards the conclusion.
- I still enjoy creating and maintaining what you see here and, as I've said before, whilst that remains the case then I shall continue to keep on driveling.
Synonyms
talk nonsense, talk rubbish, babble, ramble, gibber, burble, blather, blether, prate, prattle, gabble, chatter, twitter, maunder
informal waffle, witter on, gab, talk through one's hat
vulgar slang bullshit
2 archaic Let saliva or mucus flow from the mouth or nose: the nurse leaves you to drivel, and never wipes your nose...
- The elder is ever drivelling, the younger never has any salival discharge.
- Saliva driveled out his mouth, mucous out his nose.
- Ever since he driveled on my hand whilst I held apiece of zinc plating that he was cutting out in the field I realized that he was more than just a scientific supervisor.
Derivatives
driveller
/ (US driveler) noun ...- It is mindless drivel fueled by mindless drivelers.
- Although I'm much more of a jabberer than a driveler this sounds like a good group for lots of useless talk.
Origin
Old English dreflian (in sense 2 of the verb), of uncertain origin; perhaps related to draff.