tripe
n. uncountablen. nonsense or very bad writing. You use this word to describe something that is stupid, boring, or not true.
n. nonsense or foolish talk; by extension, worthless or poorly written material. Often used to dismiss a person's argument or a piece of media as lacking in quality or intelligence.
That movie was total tripe.
The politician's speech was full of tripe designed to appeal to people who don't think for themselves.
While the author's earlier works were celebrated for their depth, his recent novel was dismissed by critics as mere tripe that relied on tired tropes and shallow character development.
From Middle English tripe, from Old French tripe (“entrails”), of uncertain origin; possibly borrowed from Spanish tripa.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 30, 2026