mumbo jumbo

noun

mum·​bo jum·​bo ˌməm-bō-ˈjəm-(ˌ)bō 

1

: an object of superstitious homage and fear

2

a

: a complicated often ritualistic observance with elaborate trappings

b

: complicated activity or language usually intended to obscure and confuse

3

: unnecessarily involved and incomprehensible language : gibberish

4

: language, behavior, or beliefs based on superstition

Synonyms

• abracadabra
• babble
• blabber
• burble
• double Dutch
• double-talk
• drivel
• gabble
• gibber
• gibberish
• jabber
• jabberwocky
• nonsense
• prattle
• slobber

Examples of mumbo jumbo in a Sentence

We were confused by all the legal mumbo jumbo.

His explanation was just a lot of mumbo jumbo.

Recent Examples on the Web

The rub is that his world is dying because of some specific mumbo jumbo that leads Wade to seek out a Wolverine from a parallel universe to save it. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2024

That's marketing mumbo jumbo just like Apple's Retina display, but this new OLED purportedly offers a 40 percent higher peak brightness than the Pixel 7A—up to 2,000 nits (1,400 nits with HDR). —Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 7 May 2024

Part of the challenge navigating this thread is discerning what’s actually material and what’s just performative mumbo jumbo. —Vulture, 25 Jan. 2024

But whatever all-for-one, the-strength-of-the-wolf-is-the-pack mumbo jumbo that has held the Pac-12 together for the past year now feels painfully trite. —Bill Oram, oregonlive, 27 July 2023

Word History

Etymology

Mumbo Jumbo, a masked figure among Mandingo peoples of western Africa

First Known Use

1738, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mumbo jumbo

noun

mum·​bo jum·​bo ˌməm-bō-ˈjəm-bō 

1

: a complicated ceremony

2

: confusing or meaningless talk or activity