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victorianhistoricalcuriosity
Word page
Rigmarole
This word appears in the category Victorian and Edwardian Curiosities . Explore its meaning, pronunciation, origin, usage, examples, and related collection links.
How to say it
Meaning in plain English
Rigmarole means a long, complicated, confusing, or pointless procedure, story, or explanation . In plain English, this is the kind of word people search when they want a clearer definition, a stronger synonym, or a more memorable way to describe an idea than ordinary vocabulary provides.
Why this word feels absurd
Rigmarole is exactly the sort of word people love because it sounds as tangled as the situation it describes.
Origin and history
History Rigmarole has a long history in English, shifting from the sense of rambling talk or catalogues toward the modern idea of needless complication.
Is this word still used today?
rigmarole is common in speech and writing about bureaucracy, instructions, excuses, and any overdrawn process.
Example sentences
- Getting a parking permit involved an absurd rigmarole of forms and stamps.
- Skip the rigmarole and tell me what actually happened.
- The word is ideal when complicated starts to feel too polite.
When should you use this word?
Use Use rigmarole when you want a long, complicated, confusing, or pointless procedure, story, or explanation expressed in a more distinctive, memorable, or nuanced way than a plain everyday alternative provides.
Similar words
balderdashery, blimey, bumbershoot, buncombe, bunkum
Opposite or contrasting words
clarity, simplicity, plainness
Common questions
- What does rigmarole mean? Meaning Rigmarole means a long, complicated, confusing, or pointless procedure, story, or explanation . In plain English, this is the kind of word people search when they want a clearer definition, a stronger synonym, or a more memorable way to describe an idea than ordinary vocabulary provides.
- Is rigmarole still used today? Usage Today rigmarole is common in speech and writing about bureaucracy, instructions, excuses, and any overdrawn process.
- Why does rigmarole sound so strange? Absurdity Rigmarole is exactly the sort of word people love because it sounds as tangled as the situation it describes.