prattle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
prattles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prattled,
past participle, past
-
prattling
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
prattles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prattled,
past participle, past
-
prattling
present participle
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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
prattlesimple
-
prattlessimple
-
have prattledperfect
-
has prattledperfect
-
am prattlingprogressive
-
are prattlingprogressive
-
is prattlingprogressive
-
have been prattlingperfect progressive
-
has been prattlingperfect progressive
Past
-
prattledsimple
-
had prattledperfect
-
was prattlingprogressive
-
were prattlingprogressive
-
had been prattlingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Mr. Friedman’s book is full of technocorporate prattle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
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
‘But you always was soft. I thought you’d gone off in one o’ them ships you used to prattle about, sailing, sailing.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
I think often about his 2014 appearance on “WTF with Marc Maron” because you can hear Maron’s frustration at Mulaney’s composure build while he prattles charmingly on.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 2023
Sasha prattles through an interior monologue of such unrelenting vitriol about himself, his art and the world around him that he seems hollowed out, a black hole masquerading as a person.
From New York Times ● Jan. 29, 2021
Rachel, who narrates the novel, prattles on about her love life, her parents, and the cartoonishly loud suits of her journalist boss.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2020
As he spirals downward, he prattles on about the impossibility of fidelity in marriage, the power struggle between men and women — more echoes of Mamet, but without his misogyny.
From Time ● Nov. 5, 2013
At three years of age, he prattles like my father did, but I attend to every lisping word he speaks.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
“Brother, we know you’re here…” the speaker prattled on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
"With Obama, we won an election that everyone said couldn't be won," he prattled on in a speech in Washington, D.C. last week.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2023
She prattled on to her husband and dug around in her black matelassé purse.
From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2017
In the trial that ensued, prosecutors argued that Valle really meant to do at least some of what he’d prattled on about in late-night binges at the keyboard.
From Slate ● Dec. 10, 2015
Ed Lim said nothing, and Mrs. McCullough prattled nervously on.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
There’s a prattling aspect to Icke’s delaying tactics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025
A rabbit in full formal attire, prattling on about his tardiness?
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
I used my prattling pate and said, “You’re beautiful.”
From The Verge ● Apr. 14, 2022
So many shows rely on studio interviews or guests recapping their adventures ex post facto — the equivalent of Aunt Jane prattling on about her trip to Tuscany over the phone.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 10, 2020
Nevertheless, he longed for the sound of another voice, even Eilonwy’s prattling.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
