drivel 1 of 2

noun

Definition of drivelnext
1
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense that critic's reviews are nothing but self-important drivel

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2
as in babble
unintelligible or meaningless talk my roommate talks in her sleep, but it's just drivel

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drivel

2 of 2

verb

ˈdri-vəl How to pronounce drivel (audio)
1
as in to drool
to let saliva or some other substance flow from the mouth the panting dog driveled on my hand

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2
as in to chatter
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly he driveled on about his "distinguished" family for what seemed like hours

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drivel
Noun
Stop asking the conceptual drivel that any candidate would know. — Nain Abdi, Forbes.com, 3 Feb. 2026 Will anyone please save us from this drivel? — Mark Kennedy, Boston Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
In the painting Meaningless, 2003, for example, the words meaningless, senseless, and irrelevant eventually give way to blather, blabber, babble, then to drivel and drool, and, finally, to blah-blah-blah. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for drivel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drivel
  1. nonsense
  2. babble
  3. drool
  4. chatter
  5. garbage
  6. prattle
  7. spit
  8. chat
Noun
  • Until recently, that would have sounded like absolute nonsense.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • There weren’t meetings with executives about tone and mood and all this nonsense.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • The film almost completely drops any and all scientific babble from the book in favor of character development, action sequences, and emotional gut punches.
    — Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.
    — Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of babble
Verb
  • Isaacs said the symptoms of heat stress or heat stroke include excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, seizures or collapse.
    — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • This golden lasagna is the perfect way to offer a vegetarian option that meat-eaters will be drooling over.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • The youthful musicians chattered away like creatures of the Transylvanian night.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • That’s nothing more than a nonsensical, demonizing political narrative spewed by left-wing politicians and their brethren in the progressive chattering class.
    — Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • Instead, rival parties united in dismissing his actions as a stunt, leaving his only opponent to be a garbage-can wearing comedian whose policies include forcing rule-breaking cyclists to ride unicycles.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • Using a plastic bag to collect the soil and disposing of it in the garbage — not green yard waste bins — will help to reduce the spread of airborne chemicals.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • The Korean Football Association was furious, responding to this juvenile, but ultimately harmless, prattle by boycotting the Korean press.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
  • Some of the prattle can feel like treading water, a delaying tactic until the inevitable confrontation scene.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of prattle
Verb
  • And then there were watermelon-eating and seed-spitting contests and old fashioned sack races.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026
  • One significant problem, however, is that red dwarfs spit out harmful torrents of radiation in fierce gusts of their stellar winds, which can strip away a planet's atmosphere.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of spit
Verb
  • Some of the German Telegram chats date back to at least 2020, court documents show.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
  • Within the venue gates but outside the stands, groups of friends were playing cornhole and having picnic dinners from food trucks parked onsite; older attendees were chatting and kids were kicking around mini soccer balls.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026
Definition of chat

Browse Nearby Words

drive (into)
drivel
driveled
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Cite this Entry

“Drivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drivel. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on drivel

Nglish: Translation of drivel for Spanish Speakers

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