drivel
drivel Lexical Profile
drivel Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Foolish, silly, or meaningless talk or writing; utter nonsense.
"The critic dismissed the entire novel as sentimental drivel."
Saliva or mucus flowing uncontrollably from the mouth or nose; drool.
"The nurse gently wiped the drivel from the infant's chin."
• verb
To talk stupidly, childishly, or nonsensically.
"He continued to drivel on about conspiracy theories for over an hour."
To let saliva or mucus flow from the mouth or nose; to drool or slobber.
"The teething baby began to drivel onto his bib."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'drivel' with 'dribble'; while both share an historical connection to drooling, in modern usage 'drivel' refers almost exclusively to foolish or meaningless talk, whereas 'dribble' refers to liquid trickling or bouncing a ball.
• Rhymes for drivel
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'drivelen', derived from Old English 'dreflian' (to slobber or drool), of Germanic origin. The figurative sense of childish, foolish, or meaningless talk developed in the 19th century from the image of an idiot drooling while speaking.