babbling

[ bab-ling ]

noun

1. foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle:

   the constant babbling of idle gossips.

2. the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants around the age of three months.

adjective

1. chattering or prattling aimlessly:

   The babbling crowd quieted and funneled back into the auditorium at the end of intermission.

2. making a continuous murmuring sound:

   a babbling brook.

Other Words From

• bab·bling·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of babbling¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelinde, bablyng; babble, -ing ¹ (for the noun senses), -ing ² (for the adjective)

Example Sentences

The gang finds him holed up in a New Hampshire factory of a company Guillermo’s firm just finished gutting, babbling incoherently like Col.

From Salon

The simplest explanation of this election outcome is that voters genuinely disliked the outcome of four years of Democratic governance and wanted a change, and in the end the fact that the Republican in front of them happened to be a deranged, babbling narcissist with authoritarian impulses and ludicrous policy plans didn’t matter to enough people to make a difference.

From Slate

I can just express what I know a lot of women have been feeling: exhausted sadness that any sliver of joy this campaign season had has been sucked away by a vindictive, babbling old man and his crybaby minions.

From Salon

Trump is making the rounds to these economic clubs all over the country and is babbling incoherently about tariffs and "drill baby drill" saying that all of his ideas will be paid for by "growth" which Biden and Harris have failed to achieve which is a lie, of course.

From Salon

On Truth Social, he claimed it was the worst interview ever and that Harris was edited to look more presidential while she was incoherent and babbling.

From Salon