babbling

[bab-ling]

noun

1. foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle.

   the constant babbling of idle gossips.

2. the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants around the age of three months.

adjective

1. chattering or prattling aimlessly.

   The babbling crowd quieted and funneled back into the auditorium at the end of intermission.

2. making a continuous murmuring sound.

   a babbling brook.

Other Word Forms

• babblingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of babbling¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelinde, bablyng; babble, -ing ¹ (for the noun senses), -ing ² (for the adjective)

Example Sentences

The trolls begin laughing and babbling as if Tano’s declarations are a hilarious joke.

Read more on Literature

Penelope knew she was babbling, but she could not help it.

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The plot is a lovable mishmash of spy nonsense — Dan Aykroyd does a lot of conspiracy babbling — but “Sneakers” works best if you just let it be the relaxed conversation movie it wants to be.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Haden Pentecost, 41, was working on a flight from California to London when he started to become agitated and was described as "sweating" and "babbling".

Read more on BBC

Today, he can barely get out a sentence without babbling.

Read more on Salon