prattle
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the act of prattling.
-
chatter; babble.
the prattle of children.
-
a babbling sound.
the prattle of water rushing over stones.
verb
-
(intr) to talk in a foolish or childish way; babble
-
(tr) to utter in a foolish or childish way
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has prattledperfect 3rd person singular
-
have prattledperfect
-
are prattlingprogressive
-
prattlingparticiple
-
am prattlingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been prattlingperfect progressive
-
has been prattlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is prattlingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
prattlessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had prattledperfect
-
prattledsimple
-
prattledparticiple
-
were prattlingprogressive plural
-
had been prattlingperfect progressive
-
was prattlingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of prattle
1525–35; < Middle Low German pratelen to chatter, frequentative of praten to prate; see -le
Explanation
To prattle is to go on and on about something unimportant. Some people don't like your constant prattling about your collection of Lego figurines — but you're convinced it's the most fascinating topic on the planet! Prattle can also be a noun. If your little sister won't leave you and your friends alone, you might complain to your parents about her constant prattle. And the constant prattle of the person in the next seat might make it difficult for you to nap on that long airplane trip. There are a lot of funny-sounding words with a meaning similar to prattle: chatter, blether, blather, jabber, gabble, blabber, and babble, to name a few.
Vocabulary lists containing prattle
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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.
I can’t think of many, but if you ask any “SNL” diehard — even just a regular viewer — about Michaels, they’ll likely prattle off some fun facts to you.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026
Sick, awesome, amazing, I continued to prattle on.
From Slate • Jun. 22, 2025
The characters chatter and prattle about vampire lore and Anne Rice, “True Blood,” “Twilight” and “Nosferatu.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024
I find a similar kind of nonsensical prattle in various corners of our Blue Seattle.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024
People in general prattle ceaselessly about ironies here and ironies there.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
