twaddle

American  

[twod-l] / ˈtwɒd l /

noun

1. trivial, feeble, silly, or tedious talk or writing.

   Synonyms:

   rubbish, prattle, nonsense, drivel

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verb (used without object)

twaddled, twaddling

1. to talk in a trivial, feeble, silly, or tedious manner; prate.

verb (used with object)

twaddled, twaddling

1. to utter as twaddle.

twaddle British  

/ ˈtwɒdəl /

noun

1. silly, trivial, or pretentious talk or writing; nonsense

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verb

1. to talk or write (something) in a silly or pretentious way

Other Word Forms

• twaddler
  noun
• twaddly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of twaddle

1540–50; variant of twattle, blend of twiddle and tattle

Explanation

Twaddle is utter nonsense. A political candidate may be charming and attractive, but if their speech is full of twaddle, it doesn't make much sense to vote for them. Twaddle is silly foolishness — it's balderdash, drivel, or nonsense. You might dismiss both a billionaire's ridiculous invention and your sibling's fashion magazines as twaddle. If you write a book report for English class without even skimming the book, it will be immediately obvious to your teacher that it's total twaddle. The origin of this word isn't clear, though etymologists know it was originally twittle.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

twaddle twaddled twaddling

He told the court he was "just talking twaddle" and was writing things down as he thought them.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

Even if they lose this case—and I think they probably will—they’ll still have gotten away with a whole lot of twaddle that should have landed them in hot water.

From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2023

First, it is no exaggeration to say that this statement may be the most self-serving pile of bombastic twaddle Silicon Valley has ever created.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

To "The View," McCain was more than a spout of parbaked twaddle delivered with tell-it-like-it-is confidence.

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2021

No one would look her in the eye for fear of getting an earful of Tonist twaddle.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

“A gift for all of us to enjoy,” The Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner twaddled this week.

From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2013

The first crucifixion Eden saw he turned as sick as a dog—the first crucifixion Woodcock saw he twaddled in the crucified's ear, left him on the cross, and went on his way well pleased.

From It Is Never Too Late to Mend by Reade, Charles

We twaddled a great deal over the speech.

From A Political Diary 1828-1830, Volume II by Ellenborough, Edward Law, Earl of

An occasion for twaddling had come, and this good soul seized it and twaddled into a man's ear who was fainting on the rack.

From It Is Never Too Late to Mend by Reade, Charles

Look at Wordsworth; in his lifetime the general reading public considered him a prosy old gentleman, who twaddled pleasantly about lakes and mountains, and pretty little peasant girls.

From Vixen, Volume III. by Braddon, M. E. (Mary Elizabeth)

If Jules existed in my real life, I'd have started screening calls to avoid her twaddling on months ago.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 27, 2010

You feel that their edgy suburban twaddling may be the way Hollywood heavies really behave in private.

From Time Magazine Archive

He is seated at a table with three other men, twaddling a fat cigar between the finger and thumb of one hand and holding five fanned cards in the other.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

“Is there any man in Newcome except, perhaps, our twaddling old contemporary, the Sentinel,” &c. 

From Pickwickian Studies by Fitzgerald, Percy Hethrington

If we go on twaddling thus about the Greeks and Romans, we shall lose the thread of our discourse, and possibly be found tripping on the subject of Wolf's Prolegomena.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 379, May, 1847 by Various