What does drivelled mean?
Drivelled is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb "drivel," which has two main senses: to speak in a foolish, trivial, or nonsensical manner, and less commonly, to let saliva run from the mouth. When someone drivelled on about a topic, they talked at length without saying anything worthwhile, and the word almost always carries a contemptuous or exasperated tone — it is a pointedly unkind choice, suggesting that the speaker's words were not merely dull but worthless. In writing, it appears most often in criticism and complaint, as in reviews or polemics dismissing another writer's output. The literal drooling sense survives mainly in reference to babies or the infirm. British spelling doubles the final consonant (drivelled), while American convention prefers driveled. Related forms include the noun drivel, meaning both foolish talk and saliva, and the agent noun driveller.
verb"Drivelled" is the simple past tense and past participle of "drivel": to talk in a foolish, silly, or nonsensical way, or to let saliva run from the mouth.
- To talk foolishly or at length about something trivial or absurd (past tense/participle of "drivel").
- To let saliva flow uncontrollably from the mouth; to drool (less common sense of the base verb).
"He drivelled on for an hour about his business plans without once making a coherent point."
"The reviewer dismissed the novel as the kind of thing its author had drivelled out in a single weekend."
"The toddler drivelled happily down his chin as he slept in his high chair."
The same little verb covers both the drool on a baby's chin and the tedious speech at a bad meeting — English rarely offers such an unflattering two-for-one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drivelled
The verb "drivel" comes from Middle English, where it meant both to slaver or drool and by extension to speak idly or foolishly. Its further origins are Germanic but somewhat obscure, so precise earlier ancestry cannot be stated with confidence. The figurative leap from saliva to worthless speech reflects a long-standing English habit of equating foolish talk with physical dribbling, and it parallels the dual meaning of the noun "drivel" itself.
Related word forms
How drivelled is actually used
"Drivelled" follows British spelling with a doubled "l"; American usage typically writes "driveled." The word carries a strongly dismissive connotation when applied to speech — calling what someone said "drivel" is openly contemptuous. The literal drooling sense is now largely confined to descriptions of infants or the very ill.
Easily confused with drivelled
Drivel is the base form and also a noun meaning foolish talk, while drivelled is specifically its past tense or past participle.
Dribbled means to flow or fall in small drops or to move a ball in short steps, whereas drivelled chiefly refers to speaking foolishly (or drooling).