drivel

[ driv-uhl ]

/ ˈdrɪv əl /

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See synonyms for: drivel / driveling on Thesaurus.com

noun

saliva flowing from the mouth, or mucus from the nose; slaver.

childish, silly, or meaningless talk or thinking; nonsense; twaddle.

verb (used without object), driv·eled, driv·el·ing or (especially British) driv·elled, driv·el·ling.

to let saliva flow from the mouth or mucus from the nose; slaver.

to talk childishly or idiotically.

Archaic. to issue like spittle.

verb (used with object), driv·eled, driv·el·ing or (especially British) driv·elled, driv·el·ling.

to utter childishly or idiotically.

to waste foolishly.

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Origin of drivel

before 1000; Middle English dryvelen, variant of drevelen,Old English dreflian; akin to draff

OTHER WORDS FROM drivel

driv·el·er; especially British, driv·el·ler, noundriv·el·ing·ly; especially British, driv·el·ling·ly, adverb

Words nearby drivel

drive-by, drive-by download, drive-by shooting, drive home, drive-in, drivel, driveline, driven, drive-off, driver, driver ant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use drivel in a sentence

In modern times responding to such drivel somehow validates the claim.
Curt Schilling wants off the Hall of Fame ballot. Voters said that’s not up to him.|Cindy Boren, Des Bieler|January 27, 2021|Washington Post
Iggy's relatively mature response to this drug-addled drivel?
Who Dat, Who Dat? It’s Snoop Dogg Saying Misogynistic Things to I-G-G-Y|Amy Zimmerman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Netanyahu's meandering and uninspired drivel left many confused but I will attempt to summarize it.
Netanyahu’s Iran Soliloquy at the U.N.|Maysoon Zayid|October 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Your most grating acquaintance could – and usually would – bombard you with reams of unoriginal drivel at the press of a key.
Unconsidered Trifles: Found Comedy in the Age of Social Media|Tom Doran|March 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The film director has just co-written a revisionist history of the United States that is ideological drivel.
Oliver Stone’s Junk History of the United States Debunked|Michael Moynihan|November 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Is Christopher Nolan's Inception a masterpiece, drivel, too confusing?
The War Over Inception|Allen Barra|July 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST
But Canon Drivel's daughter did not deign to answer, she merely rang for prayers.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Had Teufelsdrockh also a father and mother; did he, at one time, wear drivel-bibs, and live on spoon-meat?
Sartor Resartus|Thomas Carlyle
If you have a heart, sooner or later you get into a state of drivel about somebody, who probably doesn't drivel about you.
Dodo's Daughter|E. F. Benson
It can't be worse than going about with you and listening while you crow and drivel about her, that's one comfort!
The Travelling Companions|F. Anstey
"Stow that drivel, cookie," growled a voice which I recognized as belonging to the older Fleming.
The Pirate of Panama|William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for drivel

drivel

/ (ˈdrɪvəl) /

verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled

to allow (saliva) to flow from the mouth; dribble

(intr) to speak foolishly or childishly

noun

foolish or senseless talk

saliva flowing from the mouth; slaver

Derived forms of drivel

driveller or US driveler, noun

Word Origin for drivel

Old English dreflian to slaver; see draff

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

drivel

Origin of drivel

OTHER WORDS FROM drivel

Words nearby drivel

Words related to drivel

How to use drivel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for drivel

Derived forms of drivel

Word Origin for drivel