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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
  • What Trump is serving up is precisely the kind of paternalistic nonsense that women have fought against for the past century, now applied to nation states.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The Beast in Me now joins a celebrated cohort of series with this same sneaky nonsense buried in their glowing track records, including Downton Abbey, Big Little Lies, and The White Lotus.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • Companies modelled after Mary Kay that have reprised empowerment babble for their founders’ gain are mentioned but receive scarce judgment.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of babble
Verb
  • All three judges are basically drooling over how much pure quickstep content is in this routine despite some framework issues and the mistake at the end.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Toward the end of the film, that kid is grown up and stuck in an incestuous relationship with his mother, while a nearly incapacitated Dau sits drooling nearby.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • As the courtroom cleared, a jumble of spectators and journalists chattered about the whiplash.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • There was something that got a lot of people chattering in the world of math.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • Exhibiting a pile of hot, steaming garbage might have been more transgressive than showing these sculptures.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But to anyone who knew the actual facts, not reckless garbage spewed on the internet, the result of the process was never in doubt.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 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
  • There was Nolan Ross Palmer, who swallowed flaming hot dogs whole during season 21, and the Human Fountains, who spit water into one another’s mouths in season 13.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Of course, Nicole made her presence felt in other ways as well, including spitting water into Jeremiah’s face and projectile vomiting all over the tribe camp.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of spit
Verb
  • Old Greeks and gods—some famous, like Achilles and Patroclus, others whom even a classicist might struggle to recognize—chat and complain about their condition like real people or clever schoolboys.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Kelce took his time in the locker room following the late-night win, chatting with teammates and staff members who passed by his locker before answering a few questions from local media members.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 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 27 Sep. 2026.

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