rigmarole
11 synonyms and 1 antonym for rigmarole, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A lengthy, involved and formal process.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A lengthy, involved and formal process.
“Have you seen all the rigmarole you have to go through at airport security these days?”
palaver
rigamarole
2. noun
Talk that makes no sense; 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.”
Opposites
Etymology
Comes from ragman roll ("long list; catalogue"), recorded since c1736.
Full origin of rigmarole →