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babble definition

bab·ble (bab′əl)

intransitive verb babbled -·bled, babbling -·bling

  1. to make incoherent sounds, as a baby does; prattle
  2. to talk foolishly or too much; blab
  3. to make a low, bubbling sound, as a brook does when flowing over stones

Etymology: ME bablen; akin to Norw bable, Swed babbla, Ger babbeln, to prattle, L balbutire, to stammer, Sans balbuthah, stammerer: of echoic orig.

transitive verb

  1. to say indistinctly or incoherently
  2. to say foolishly or unadvisedly; blab

noun

  1. confused, incoherent talk or vocal sounds
  2. foolish or meaningless talk
  3. a low, bubbling sound

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

babble Synonyms

babble

n.

jabber, chatter, twaddle; see nonsense 1.


babble

v.

talk incoherently, chatter, prattle, blab, rattle (on), talk nonsense, talk foolishly, rant, rave, drivel, mouth, gush, maunder, ramble on, run on, gossip, murmur, chat, prate, twaddle, gabble, tattle, jabber, blather, palaver, blurt, patter, clack, burble, gurgle, coo, sputter, gibber, beat one's gums*, run off at the mouth*, talk off the top of one's head*, shoot the breeze*, gab*, blabber*, clatter*, go on*, natter*; see also talk 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

babble Usage Examples

Object

  • gurgle: She babbles, gurgles, giggles, sucks on her bottle or dummy and cries when waking up.

Adjective modifier

  • meaningless: Everything else read and sounded like meaningless babble to them.

Modifying Another Word

  • away: There are French people staying here, so I might take the opportunity to babble away in a language I know.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • on: Mansell babbles on - cruel, cold, calm executioner.

Preposition: of

  • voice: I don't mean making our voice powerful enough to be heard above the babble of voices in today's world.

Noun used with modifier

  • psycho-annalysis: And now preparing for my psychology paper tomorrow, but figured I need a break from psycho-annalysis babble.

Preposition: like

  • baby: She can laugh cry or babble just like a real baby.
babble usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"babble." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/babble>

APA Style

babble. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/babble

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