blather
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
-
blathers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blathered,
past participle, past
-
blathering
present participle
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
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Speak
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Ghost
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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 of this speaks well of Betts’ intuition and intelligence, but the postseason is not the time for “trust the process” blather.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
"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
Why not just ignore her and carry on with his usual blather about shower heads and windmills and tales of his former glory?
From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2024
“And I don’t want to hear you blather on about another case, Aunt Kitty—all right, Aunt Kate! But it’s time you do the listening to me for a change. No interruptions.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
If she wants to call witnesses to rebut specific lies he blathers, she can.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2021
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
The Portuguese, meanwhile, hardly dare express hope in their striker, O Jogo merely announcing what is at stake by headlining "Bento banks on Postiga", while A Bola blathers about a titanic battle with Vikings.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 13, 2012
He mutes his speakerphone and cracks wise as a colleague blathers on.
From New York Times ● Mar. 19, 2011
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
While reality TV shows blathered about "viewer interactivity", Lost fans were living it.
From The Guardian ● May 21, 2010
I doubt it, but CNN blathered on in an effort to change my mind.
From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2010
Pushing our chairs back, we both grabbed our bonnets, blathered something to Mrs. Drysdale about getting some fresh air, and skittered out the back door.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
And don’t be surprised if I think you’re a blathering chucklehead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2025
“I was letting off steam and it was more online blathering than anything,” he said.
From New York Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
His blathering on the subject was incoherent as always.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2021
Then, when he’s wrong, which is often enough, we have to hear him blathering apologies and falling all over himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2020
Just to stop me blathering on like that?
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
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.
