Word of the Day Gobbledygook - Meaning, Usage & IELTS Examples

While preparing for the IELTS exam, using the perfect words can make a big difference in your final band score. One such word is “Gobbledygook,” which means that a language that is overly complicated, confusing, or filled with unnecessary words. 

This particular word is especially useful when you want to criticize unclear information or to point out when something is hard to understand due to complicated wording. 

In this article, you will learn the meaning, history, and practical ways to use “Gobbledygook” in both the IELTS Writing and Speaking modules along with example sentences and practice questions to help you use it naturally!

Meaning of the Word “Gobbledygook”

Gobbledygook refers to a speech or writing which is unnecessarily confusing, complicated, or even filled with technical jargon that makes it difficult for others to understand.

History of the Word “Gobbledygook”

The term gobbledygook was coined by the U.S. Congressman Maury Maverick, a former congressman from Texas and former mayor of San Antonio in 1944. When Maverick was chairman of the Smaller War Plants Corporation during World War II, he sent a memorandum that said: “Be short and use plain English. … Stay off gobbledygook language.” 

This person used it to criticize the overly difficult and bureaucratic language that was used in official documents. This word was inspired by the sound that was made by turkeys (“gobble, gobble”). This suggested that such language is just meaningless noise.

Maverick defined gobbledygook as “talk or writing which is long, pompous, vague, involved, usually with Latinized words.” The allusion was to a turkey, “always gobbledygobbling and strutting with ridiculous pomposity.”

Using the Word “Gobbledygook” in Sentences

• Our professor asked us to simplify our report as it sounded like pure gobbledygook.
• Many of the legal contracts are full of gobbledygook, as they make them hard for general people to understand.
• Instead of using clear details and explanations, the company’s manager spoke in gobbledygook that in turn confused everyone in the end of the day meeting.

Using the Word “Gobbledygook” in IELTS Writing Task 2

In the IELTS Writing Task 2, one can use the word gobbledygook when trying to express their idea about something that is overly complex or nearly unclear, mainly when criticizing bureaucracy, legal language, or even some complicated policies.

For instance: “Government documents are usually filled with so much gobbledygook that normal people tend to struggle to understand important information, which reduces transparency and the public’s trust.”

This will show the examiner that you can organize your idea clearly and explain your opinion with strong vocabulary.

Using the Word “Gobbledygook” in IELTS Speaking 

In the IELTS Speaking test, mainly in the Parts 2 or Part 3, you can definitely use the word gobbledygook to describe confusing language or certain experiences involving complicated information.

For instance: “I do not like reading detailed instruction manuals since most of them are full of technical gobbledygook and it directly makes everything harder to understand.”

This will make your answer stand out of the crowd and help you improve your lexical resource score. But, make sure to use it naturally and do not forcibly stuff it in a sentence. 

• In IELTS Speaking Part 1 (Introduction): When answering questions about complex words or information.
• In IELTS Speaking Part 2 (Cue Card): When describing experiences where you talk about something you dealt with was more complex than you expected it to be.
• In IELTS Speaking Part 3 (Follow-Up): To answer related to confusing or misleading language.

Some Other Sentence Examples Using the Word “Gobbledygook” 

1. Enough with this gobbledygook and explain it in simple English! How much do I owe in taxes?
2. Oh come on Humphrey, stop spewing this gobbledygook and tell me whether I should support this policy or not. 
3. One of the many criticisms of the new constitution was that it was too hard to understand; that it was essentially gobbledygook.
4. Filling up your essay with abstruse gobbledygook will not win you points with your professor. So don’t try to impress him in that way.
5. I tried attending law school, but the professors were simply spouting gobbledygook. I couldn’t understand a word.

Also Check:

• Assiduous – Word of the Day 
• Word – Jubilant
• Nuance: Meaning, Definition, History, and Exercise 
• Fatuous: Meaning, Definition, Forms & Exercise
• Eloquent: Meaning, Definition and Use In A Sentence