drivel

1 of 2

noun

1
: nonsense
Don't waste your time reading such drivel.
2
archaic : drool sense 1

drivel

2 of 2

verb

driv·​el ˈdri-vəl How to pronounce drivel (audio)
driveled or drivelled; driveling or drivelling ˈdri-v(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce drivel (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to talk stupidly and carelessly
What is he driveling about now?
2
: to let saliva dribble from the mouth : slaver
driveler noun

Examples of drivel in a Sentence

Noun that critic's reviews are nothing but self-important drivel my roommate talks in her sleep, but it's just drivel Verb What is he driveling about now? the panting dog driveled on my hand
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And this produced endless, endless conversations, most of which was complete drivel, but occasional pieces of which were important and certainly ultimately implicated Lefty Ruggiero in his part in this extortion. Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 On and on the anti-intellectual drivel goes, parroted by scores more of MAGA Media personalities who spend their days peddling junk to their audiences. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 30 Jan. 2024 And please, stop with the additional-funding drivel. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 27 Jan. 2024 That puts Disney, a reputable brand that aims to be as inoffensive as possible, in the company of Fox News, the only other major television broadcaster that comes to mind that allows for the irresponsible and unchecked airing of such anti-intellectual drivel. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024 As if the conflict between Israel and Hamas isn’t complicated enough, navigating X for up-to-the-minute dispatches now means having to comb through layers of xenophobic drivel, doctored and/or mislabeled videos and more disinformation-spewing bots than Facebook circa 2016. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2023 Alas, the discussion confirms that this kind of drivel has gained real traction of late. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2023 DeSantis rightly knocked it down as condescending drivel. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 27 May 2023 They aren’t asked to try to mine comedy from being too old to dance at a wedding or some such drivel. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2023
Verb
Our campuses are a mess — citadels of conformism and drivel. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Dec. 2023 Gretchen Bender superimposes potent phrases or ideas onto television screens blaring out the usual stream of nonsense, drivel and enticement. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023 Scary plagues are ravaging the planet while drivelers drivel. Arkansas Online, 26 July 2021 No one elected Laura Ingraham either, that hasn't stopped her from dribbling pro-Trump drivel out of her mouth every night. Jeff Darcy, cleveland.com, 21 Feb. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drivel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English dreflian; perhaps akin to Old Norse draf malt dregs

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of drivel was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near drivel

Cite this Entry

“Drivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drivel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drivel

1 of 2 verb
driv·​el ˈdriv-əl How to pronounce drivel (audio)
driveled or drivelled; driveling or drivelling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce drivel (audio)
1
: to let saliva dribble from the mouth : slobber
2
: to talk stupidly
driveler noun
or driveller
-(ə-)lər

drivel

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on drivel

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