Guff

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɡʌf/

Definitions

1. Trivial banter often consists of vacuous statements that lack substance and depth
2. Meaningless chatter may fill conversations with empty words that distract from important exchanges
3. Speech full of empty or pointless remarks that convey little or no meaningful information

Etymology: "Guff" in the sense of idle talk or nonsense is onomatopoeic: its sound imitates a breath or puff of air, the sort of thing one blows out when dismissing something. Norwegian offers close relatives in "gufs," meaning a puff of wind, and "guffa," meaning to blow softly, which suggest the same breathy origin. The word's sense of empty, insubstantial talk grew naturally from that image of something that is all air and no weight.

Synonyms: nonsense, rubbish, balderdash

Antonyms: truth, fact