rigmarole
A long and complicated formal procedureA long and complicated formal procedure.
Meaning
2 senses(countable, uncountable)A long and complicated formal procedure.
Have you seen all the rigmarole you have to go through at airport security these days?
Theater, Zirkus, Brimborium
каните́льkanitélʹ, волоки́таvolokíta
a long and complicated and confusing procedure
(countable, dated, uncountable)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.
Geschwätz, Palaver
вздорvzdor, брехня́brexnjá
Examples
1 sentencesWhat a rigmarole!
deWas für ein Zirkus! — Dani6187
Translations
7 languagesBy meaning 2
By meaning 2
Origin
From ragman roll (“long list; catalogue”). Recorded since c1736.From ragman roll (“long list; catalogue”). Recorded since c1736.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: rigmarolesSynonyms
117 synonymsWord family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.