babble Hear it!

babble Definition

bab·ble (babəl)

intransitive verb -·bled, -·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

babble Related Forms
bab·bler noun
babble Synonyms

babble

n.

babble Synonyms

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.

babble Usage Examples

Object

  • brook: WEST Bridge Your're standing on a small wooden bridge spanning a babbling brook.
  • gurgle: She babbles, gurgles, giggles, sucks on her bottle or dummy and cries when waking up.
  • stream: The weir that lends the place its name flanks the cottage and a softly babbling stream runs through the back courtyard.
  • sound: Joe then started to place his head at the side of mine and make a babbling sound.
  • nonsense: The wine must have addled your brain, Stranger, or else your mind is always like this, making you babble endless nonsense.

Adjective modifier

  • meaningless: Everything else read and sounded like meaningless babble to them.
  • psycho: MATTHEWS: Well, now we get into some psycho babble right up front.
  • inane: Just the thoughts of a sleep deprived student, that may or may not be inane babble!

Modifying Another Word

  • incoherently: During his New Jersey trial, he sometimes moaned and babbled incoherently and would foam at the mouth.
  • away: There are French people staying here, so I might take the opportunity to babble away in a language I know.
  • about: What, in short, is he babbling about?
  • just: Anyways, I wanted to babble just a little bit about themes.
  • n't: Don't give one word answers and do n't babble Yes and no answers may make an interviewer think you are not really interested.
  • still: I'm still babbling about it incessantly with a stupid fixed grin over my face!

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.
  • techno: P&DR is just ' HR techno babble ' and the University won't actually carry it out fairly.
  • marketing: It is difficult to compare the content management products available because of the widespread use of jargon, buzzwords, and marketing babble.

Preposition: like

  • baby: She can laugh cry or babble just like a real baby.

Browse dictionary entries near babble

  1. Babbitt metal
  2. babbitt
  3. Babbage, Charles
  4. Babbage
  5. babassu
  6. Babar
  7. baba ghanouj
  8. baba au rhum
  9. Bab el Mandeb
  10. Bab
  1. -babble
  2. babe
  3. Babel
  4. Baber
  5. babesiosis
  6. Babi
  7. babiche
  8. babies' breath
  9. babirusa
  10. Babism