Synonyms for rigmarole
- noun
- adjective
Most common
non-sense jargon twaddle balderdash circus act riddle me ree
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Jargon — confused and incoherent talk; nonsense
non-sense, jargon, twaddle, balderdash, gibberish, stuff and nonsense, mumbo-jumbo, hocus-pocus, gobbledygook informal US, gobbledegook UK, blather, prattle, drivel, absurdity, trash US, humbug, rubbish UK, babble, double talk, jabber, clap-trap, flummery, moon-shine
2. Palaver — A long and complicated formal procedure
palaver UK, circus act, carry-on UK NZ, riddle me ree
Adjective
Definitions
- n. 1
A long and complicated formal procedure.
Have you seen all the rigmarole you have to go through at airport security these days?
- n. 2
Confused and incoherent talk; nonsense.
If you are alluding to Dostoevski’s worst novels, then, indeed, I dislike intensely The Karamazov Brothers and the ghastly Crime and Punishment rigmarole.
- adj. 1
Characterized by rigmarole; prolix; tedious.
Forms
- Plural
- rigmaroles → jargons, twaddles, gibberishes, mumbo-jumbos…
Example sentences
- jargon All this technical jargon is gibberish to me.
- twaddle Personally, I think it's a load of twaddle.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| rigmarole | steady | |
| jargon | steady | |
| twaddle | steady | |
| balderdash | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- trash1
- 6 letters
- jargon2, babble2, drivel2, humbug2, jabber
- 7 letters
- rubbish2, blather2, prattle2, palaver, twaddle2
- 8 letters
- flummery
- 9 letters
- absurdity4, gibberish3
- 10 letters
- balderdash3, palaverous
- 12 letters
- gobbledygook4, gobbledegook
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (jargon2 = 2 syllables).