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Nonsense Words

This is a rather unusual glossary in that all of the words on the list are essentially synonymous - they are nouns meaning nonsense, gibberish, claptrap, hogwash, rubbish ... you get the idea. It probably shouldn't be surprising that this category is so productive of weird words. After all, what better way to disparage someone's ideas than to combine some nonsense syllables to make a descriptor for them? You more or less always can identify their meaning from context alone - either they're used as interjections, preceded by words like 'such' or 'unadulterated' or 'ridiculous'. But which to choose? You have the reduplicated ones (fiddle-faddle), the pseudo-classical (brimborion), the ones that literally mean something repulsive (spinach), and of course the wide variety that are euphemisms for bodily functions. Excluded from this list are the wide variety of very fun terms that are simple vulgarities without any specific reference to nonsense.


Word Definition
ackamarackuspretentious or deceptive nonsense
babooneryfoolishness; stupidity; nonsense
balderdashnonsense; a jumble of words
ballyhoobombastic or pretentious nonsense
baloneyhumbug; nonsense
bamboshdeceptive nonsense
bilgelower point of inner hull of a ship; nonsense or rubbish
blaguehumbug; pretentious nonsense
blaguepretentious nonsense
blarneyskilful flattery; nonsense
bletherskatea garrulous talker of nonsense
brimborionworthless nonsense; trash
bugabooloud or empty nonsense
buncombespeech-making intended for the mass media; humbug
bunknonsense; humbug
bushwanonsense
cackrubbish; worthless nonsense
claptrapshowy language designed to gain praise; nonsense
clatfartidle chatter; nonsense
codswallopsomething utterly senseless; nonsense
effutiationtwaddle; humbug
eyewashhumbug; something done merely for effect
fadoodlenonsense
falderalnonsense; meaningless refrain of a song
fandanglepretentious tomfoolery
fiddlededeenonsense
fiddle-faddletrifling talk
flamhumbug; trickery
flannelostentatious nonsense
flapdoodlegross flattery; nonsense
flimflamnonsense; trickery
flummadiddlenonsense; humbug
flummeryanything insipid; empty compliment; humbug
fribblefrivolous nonsense; a trifling thing or person
fustianpretentious writing or speech; inflated or nonsensical language
galbanumnonsense; a kind of gum resin
galimatiasnonsense; confused mixture of unrelated things
gammonto feign an action; perpetrate a hoax on; nonsense, rubbish
gibberishnonsense talk
grimgribberlearned gibberish; legal jargon
haverfoolish nonsense
hibber-gibbergibberish
hogwashnonsense; worthless idea
hooeynonsense; humbug
humbugnonsense
jabberwocknonsense, gibberish
jiggery-pokerydeceptive or manipulative humbug
kelternonsense
kidologydeceptive trickery; nonsense
linsey-woolseycoarse inferior wool or wool-flax weave; nonsense or confusion
macaroninonsense; foolishness
malarkeyhumbug; nonsense
morologynonsense
mullocknonsense; rubbish
mumbo-jumboobscure nonsense
narrischkeitfoolishness; nonsense
nugamentnonsense; trifle
phonus-bolonusexaggerated trickery or nonsense
piddlenonsense
pigwashrubbish; nonsense
poppycockhumbug; nonsense
poshnonsense
quatschnonsense
rannygazoofoolish nonsense
razzmatazzmeaningless talk; hype; nonsense
rhubarbnonsense; actors' nonsense background chatter
riddle-me-reenonsense language
rottackrubbish; nonsense
schmegeggynonsense; an idiot
shucknonsense
skittlesrubbish; nonsense
slipslopnonsensical talk
spinachnonsense
squitsilly talk; nonsense; an insignificant person
stultiloquencefoolish or senseless talk
taradiddlesenseless talk; deception; nonsense
tarradiddlelie; falsehood; nonsense; fib
tootlenonsensical writing or speech
toshrubbish; drivel; nonsense
trumperydeception; trickery; showy nonsense
twaddlerubbish; nonsense


I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.

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