babble

[bab-uhl]

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

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

/ 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

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)

Word History and Origins

Origin of babble¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of babble¹

C13: compare Dutch babbelen , Swedish babbla , French babiller to prattle, Latin babulus fool; probably all of imitative origin

Example Sentences

I spent days pressing a light-up toy when we said his name to draw his attention and babbled incessantly in his face so he could copy my lip patterns.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"He's hitting his milestones just as he should be, and he's putting on weight nicely while giving us lots of laughs and babbles; everything a baby should be doing," he added.

Read more on BBC

“Do I have issues with some of the policies towards women, towards the gays, towards the freedom of speech? Well, of course I do, of course I do, of course I do,” he babbled.

Read more on Salon

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

Read more on Salon

Standing at the mouth of the tunnel, the constant babble of cascading water dominates the senses.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blubber 
• burble 
• mumble 
• murmur 
• mutter