prattle

American  

[prat-l] / ˈpræt l /

verb (used without object)

prattled, prattling

1. to talk in a foolish or simple-minded way; chatter; babble.

   Synonyms:

   blab, gabble, jabber, gab

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verb (used with object)

prattled, prattling

1. to utter by chattering or babbling.

noun

1. the act of prattling.

2. chatter; babble.

   the prattle of children.

3. a babbling sound.

   the prattle of water rushing over stones.

prattle British  

/ ˈprætəl /

verb

1. (intr) to talk in a foolish or childish way; babble

2. (tr) to utter in a foolish or childish way

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noun

1. foolish or childish talk

Other Word Forms

• prattler noun
• prattlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of prattle

1525–35; < Middle Low German pratelen to chatter, frequentative of praten to prate; -le

Example Sentences

Sick, awesome, amazing, I continued to prattle on.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 2025

I find a similar kind of nonsensical prattle in various corners of our Blue Seattle.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024

Without this accuracy and verification, some researchers obfuscate data broker information with prattle that mirrors marketing language.

From Scientific American • Jun. 12, 2023

Lots of people can prattle on about football on TV, but the extreme upper echelon — the polished storytellers entrusted by the networks to call those premier national games — is wafer thin.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2022

As pleasant as it was to escape the grating prattle of Lady Constance and the bizarre behavior of Lord Fredrick, it also felt oddly sad to be the one left behind.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood