1 flibbertigibbet | Definition of flibbertigibbet
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flibbertigibbet

noun
flib·​ber·​ti·​gib·​bet | \ ËŒfli-bÉ™r-tÄ“-ˈji-bÉ™t How to pronounce flibbertigibbet (audio) \

Definition of flibbertigibbet

: a silly flighty person
Other Words from flibbertigibbet Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about flibbertigibbet

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Other Words from flibbertigibbet

flibbertigibbety \ ËŒfli-​bÉ™r-​tÄ“-​ˈji-​bÉ™-​tÄ“ How to pronounce flibbertigibbety (audio) \ adjective

Did You Know?

Flibbertigibbet is one of many incarnations of the Middle English word flepergebet, meaning "gossip" or "chatterer." (Others include "flybbergybe," "flibber de' Jibb," and "flipperty-gibbet.") It is a word of onomatopoeic origin, created from sounds that were intended to represent meaningless chatter. Shakespeare apparently saw a devilish aspect to a gossipy chatterer; he used "flibbertigibbet" in King Lear as the name of a devil. This use never caught on, but the devilish connotation of the word reappeared over 200 years later when Sir Walter Scott used "Flibbertigibbet" as the nickname of an impish urchin in the novel Kenilworth. The impish meaning derived from Scott's character was short-lived and was laid to rest by the 19th-century's end, leaving us with only the "silly flighty person" meaning.

Examples of flibbertigibbet in a Sentence

forced to endure a long flight with a flibbertigibbet as a seat companion

Recent Examples on the Web

 Instead of acting cool and sophisticated our narrator prattled like a flibbertigibbet. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction Chronicle: A Moonshine-Lit Kentucky Noir," 6 Apr. 2018 Warning: The book has my three-year-old calling her grandmother a flibbertigibbet. — Megan Gambino, Smithsonian, "The Ten Best Children’s Books of 2017," 18 Dec. 2017 And never mind that its mother is a flibbertigibbet who has no business having a baby. — Matt Giles, Longreads, "The Genius of the Playboy Interview," 29 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flibbertigibbet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of flibbertigibbet

15th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for flibbertigibbet

Middle English flepergebet

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