twaddle

1 of 2

noun

twad·​dle ˈtwä-dᵊl How to pronounce twaddle (audio)
1
a
: silly idle talk : drivel
b
: something insignificant or worthless : nonsense
that idea is pure twaddle
2
: one that twaddles : twaddler

twaddle

2 of 2

verb

twaddled; twaddling
ˈtwäd-liŋ,
ˈtwä-dᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce twaddle (audio)
twaddler
ˈtwäd-lər
ˈtwä-dᵊl-ər How to pronounce twaddle (audio)
noun

Examples of twaddle in a Sentence

Noun We don't believe that twaddle anymore. the novel's elaborate theory detailing a supposed 2,000-year-old conspiracy is mostly tiresome twaddle
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The public is simply not buying it and is looking for an alternative. Enough of the twaddle about how voting Democratic is voting to save democracy. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2024 Perhaps News Nation is trying to assume the mantle of Fox News as a dispenser of right-wing twaddle, or (to be more charitable) of CNN as a sober neutral voice. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023 On the other end are people like Yann LeCun, who reject such scenarios as sci-fi twaddle. Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 June 2023 Brett calls Hal to trade pretentious literary references, chit-chat about the business of books and other time-sucking twaddle. oregonlive, 16 May 2023 This is all abject twaddle. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2023 No, not the usual twaddle about manipulative crowd-pleasers like cats, dogs, ferrets or budgies, which are programmed to be cute, but stories like the recent one in the Journal about goats that are helping to fight fires in rural Australia by gobbling up potential tinder. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 20 Jan. 2022 Before long, Limbaugh had attracted an audience of 20 million a day by spewing wildly racist, xenophobic and sexist bile and wildly untrue twaddle about everything from climate to tobacco to the number of murders committed by Bill and Hillary Clinton. Al Franken, Star Tribune, 11 Nov. 2020 Much of the research and the dissemination of this twaddle is funded by the Gates Foundation, which last year spent $642 million for its U.S. program, including Pathways and other initiatives that focus on eliminating white supremacy from math. Kenin M. Spivak, National Review, 16 Sep. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably alteration of English dialect twattle idle talk

First Known Use

Noun

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of twaddle was in 1782

Dictionary Entries Near twaddle

Cite this Entry

“Twaddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twaddle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

twaddle

noun
twad·​dle
ˈtwäd-ᵊl
: silly idle talk

More from Merriam-Webster on twaddle

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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