Rube Goldberg

adjective

Rube Gold·berg ˈrüb-ˈgōl(d)-ˌbərg

variants or less commonly Rube Goldbergian

ˈrüb-ˈgōl(d)-ˌbər-gē-ən

-ˌbərg-yən

: accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done simply

a kind of Rube Goldberg contraption … with five hundred moving parts—

L. T. Grant

also : characterized by such complex means

Etymology

Reuben (Rube) L. Goldberg †1970 American cartoonist

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Rube Goldberg was in 1928

See more words from the same year

rubefacient

Rube Goldberg

rubel

See all Nearby Words

Style

“Rube Goldberg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rube%20Goldberg. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.

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