babble

[ bab-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, bab·bled, bab·bling.

1. to utter sounds or words imperfectly, indistinctly, or without meaning.
2. to talk idly, irrationally, excessively, or foolishly; chatter or prattle.

   Synonyms: blather, drivel, gabble, chitchat

3. to make a continuous, murmuring sound.

   Synonyms: burble, gurgle, murmur

verb (used with object)

, bab·bled, bab·bling.

1. to utter in an incoherent, foolish, or meaningless fashion.
2. to reveal foolishly or thoughtlessly:

   to babble a secret.

noun

1. inarticulate or imperfect speech.
2. foolish, meaningless, or incoherent speech; prattle.
3. a murmuring sound or a confusion of sounds.
4. babbling ( def 2 ).
5. Telecommunications. a confused mixture of extraneous sounds in a circuit, resulting from cross talk from other channels. Compare cross talk ( def 1 ).

babble

/ ˈbæbəl /

verb

1. to utter (words, sounds, etc) in an incoherent or indistinct jumble
2. intr to talk foolishly, incessantly, or irrelevantly
3. tr to disclose (secrets, confidences, etc) carelessly or impulsively
4. intr (of streams, birds, etc) to make a low murmuring or bubbling sound

noun

1. incoherent or foolish speech; chatter
2. a murmuring or bubbling sound

Derived Forms

• ˈbabblement, noun
• ˈbabbling, nounadjective

Other Words From

• outbabble verb (used with object) outbabbled outbabbling

Word History and Origins

Origin of babble¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelen; cognate with Old Norse babbla, Dutch babbelen, German pappelen

Word History and Origins

Origin of babble¹

C13: compare Dutch babbelen , Swedish babbla , French babiller to prattle, Latin babulus fool; probably all of imitative origin

Example Sentences

I nourish a sense of satisfaction with the simple accomplishments of the day; getting up early, making coffee for my mom and me, walking, performing some activism, reminding myself that “movement of the muscles overcomes the defeatist babble of the brain.”

From Salon

"Have you got Tourette's or something? You know, you just sit there, babble, babble, babble," he said, responding to the interruptions.

From BBC

At long last, however, I went to sleep listening to the soothing babble of running water outside my bedroom window.

From Los Angeles Times

Watching interviews with Vance suggests his main job is to "translate" Trump's babble into coherent-sounding talking points.

From Salon

Harris, in a manner befitting her prosecutorial background, expertly baited Trump into ditching the low-key, straight-faced tone he assumed in the first 15 minutes and got him riled up enough to babble about his pet peeves—crowd sizes, immigrants, foreign dictators, etc.—in an incoherent and off-putting manner.

From Slate

Related Words

• blubber
• burble
• mumble
• murmur
• mutter