- present participle of babble.
babbling
Americannoun
-
foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle.
the constant babbling of idle gossips.
-
the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants around the age of three months.
adjective
-
chattering or prattling aimlessly.
The babbling crowd quieted and funneled back into the auditorium at the end of intermission.
-
making a continuous murmuring sound.
a babbling brook.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of babbling
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelinde, bablyng; see origin at babble, -ing 1 (for the noun senses), -ing 2 (for the adjective)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Babbling and blabbing all along with only about 1/3 of his content having any meaning in reality.
From Salon • Sep. 22, 2023
Babbling is the first milestone when learning to speak.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2021
Babbling in infants and toddlers is vital practice in gaining that control.
From BBC • Aug. 19, 2021
Babbling bookmakers, taking hard-earned bobs from farmers, charwomen, clerks, winked slyly under their bowler hats.
From Time Magazine Archive
Do you think we can carry home oysters for the—the—personal consumption of this Babbling young prince?
From Prudence of the Parsonage by Hueston, Ethel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
