babble

American  

[bab-uhl] / ˈbæb əl /

verb (used without object)

babbled, babbling

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

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verb (used with object)

babbled, babbling

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.

5. Telecommunications. a confused mixture of extraneous sounds in a circuit, resulting from cross talk from other channels.

babble British  

/ 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

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noun

1. incoherent or foolish speech; chatter

2. a murmuring or bubbling sound

Other Word Forms

• babblement noun
• babbling noun
• outbabble verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of babble

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

Example Sentences

Behind me, a child began to giggle—then babble, then laugh again.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

The mogul ended up apologizing for that babble, calling it the “dumbest post I’ve ever done.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

Meanwhile, the southern pied babbler does not, in fact, merely babble.

From Salon • May 29, 2025

Above us swallows dart through the air, Graeme takes a picture of a damsel fly and the brook to our side continues to babble.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2024

After studying for a while, I listened to the babble of the creek and stared at the water eternally rushing where its current was taking it, wishing it could carry me wherever Togbe was.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• blubber
• burble
• mumble
• murmur
• mutter