blather
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
noun
-
foolish talk; nonsense
-
a person who blathers
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blathersimple
-
blatherssimple
-
have blatheredperfect
-
has blatheredperfect
-
am blatheringprogressive
-
are blatheringprogressive
-
is blatheringprogressive
-
have been blatheringperfect progressive
-
has been blatheringperfect progressive
Past
-
blatheredsimple
-
had blatheredperfect
-
was blatheringprogressive
-
were blatheringprogressive
-
had been blatheringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blather
From Middle English; Old Norse blathra “to chatter, blabber”
Explanation
To blather is to talk on and on without saying anything very important or wise. If you blather all afternoon, it might be a welcome distraction to your friend who's grieving the death of her cat. You can use the word blather as a noun too: you might hate riding the bus home from school because of all the silly blather around you. At a job, it might be acceptable to blather during your lunch break, but not once you get back to work. The verb came first, and it was originally Scottish, probably from the Old Norse word blaðra, "mutter or wag the tongue."
Vocabulary lists containing blather
The Hunger Games
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Speak
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ghost
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
In fact, I expected the outcome since about day seven, including China’s role in bringing about a settlement, though minus any blather on my part about a victory for the mullahs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
"All this blather about Mr Adams being a member of the army council is not something you have to decide," he told the jury.
From BBC ● May 7, 2025
All three leads croon along with these pure emotions, each one believing they’ve grown to know each other, either through their own lyrics or Charles’ nonstop blather.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
They may be cutting back on how much he can blather on-air, but in the end, that's mainly to his benefit.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2023
They wrestled the Americans toward the shed door affectionately, filling the night with manly blather and brotherly rodomontades.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
If she wants to call witnesses to rebut specific lies he blathers, she can.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2021
“One of the things that almost every longtime survivor I know has commented on is how eerie it is to see them up there smiling and nodding while this fool blathers on,” he says.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 22, 2020
First, he sees through the pontification of the hall’s snooty administrator, who blathers on about the philanthropic purpose of wealth.
From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2016
He blathers on about Picasso as a rogue sociopath, a narcissist out to make someone suffer, maybe his mom or his dad or himself or the whole world.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2012
Heather paints her nails on her desk blotter and blathers.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
For now, though, Koepka is ascendant, and for all the reasons I've blathered on about for the last four hours, what he's accomplished in the past two years is more than just remarkable—it's singular.
From Golf Digest ● May 19, 2019
Pundits blathered above a ticker of the latest headlines.
From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2015
The Holmesdale captain, Mark Epps, rejected a request to delay the start – "This isn't friendly schoolboy cricket," he blathered, hugging his Little Book of Mental Disintegration.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 9, 2011
I doubt it, but CNN blathered on in an effort to change my mind.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2010
The lieu-tenant blathered on about major versus minor offenses, the need to make judgments, and so on, apparently expecting me to say, “Oh, I get it!” and withdraw from his office.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
And don’t be surprised if I think you’re a blathering chucklehead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2025
So it just seems like some blathering by a professor, and that is frustrating.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2024
No, he wanted to read about it on Twitter, one factual post taking a blow torch to all the blathering opinions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
“I was letting off steam and it was more online blathering than anything,” he said.
From New York Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
“It was a mess. That blathering sailor pushed her to the front of the line. It drew more attention.”
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
