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 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.

From 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".

From BBC

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

From Salon

The question left Pearce reeling, babbling out a reply that his laptop had automatically switched in an incorrect address on documents he’d uploaded.

From Los Angeles Times

The gang finds him holed up in a New Hampshire factory of a company Guillermo’s firm just finished gutting, babbling incoherently like Col.

From Salon