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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • Same goes for Chock Chapple (6), because life’s too short to be typing that nonsense in a search field.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of babble
Verb
  • Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • There was one of Melissa Gorga’s sprinkle cookies ground into the carpet, and there was Kelsey Swanson, passed out under the piano and drooling on the parquet.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • Some raved about the experience to those in line while others chattered among themselves about their thoughts.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As the courtroom cleared, a jumble of spectators and journalists chattered about the whiplash.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • If the brain’s plumbing doesn’t work properly, research shows, cellular garbage accumulates, and a cleaner brain may be a healthier one.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
  • After the ad went viral on social media, Republican candidate for state school superintendent Sonja Shaw called it creepy, weird garbage.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 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
  • Altman isn’t the only big name who gets chewed up and spit out by Guadagnino’s dark satire.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Police said the suspect, identified as 42-year-old Billy Applegate III, later tried to kick and spit on officers while being taken to the hospital after the crash.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of spit
Verb
  • Service is incredibly attentive and personable; everyone will want to stop and chat throughout the day.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • And in 2023, Tierra Whack and Lil Yachty chatted about hip-hop in Brooklyn, before Jon Batiste and Gucci Mane kept the conversation going.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of chat

Browse Nearby Words

drive (into)
drivel
driveled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Drivel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drivel. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All