babbling

American  

[bab-ling] / ˈbæb lɪŋ /

noun

1. foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle.

   the constant babbling of idle gossips.

2. the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants around the age of three months.

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adjective

1. chattering or prattling aimlessly.

   The babbling crowd quieted and funneled back into the auditorium at the end of intermission.

2. making a continuous murmuring sound.

   a babbling brook.

Other Word Forms

• babblingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of babbling

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelinde, bablyng; babble, -ing ¹ (for the noun senses), -ing ² (for the adjective)

Example Sentences

Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself.

From Los Angeles Times

This, of course, is unscientific babbling, which is why the professor is a beloved guest on Rogan’s show.

From Salon

The trolls begin laughing and babbling as if Tano’s declarations are a hilarious joke.

From Literature

Penelope knew she was babbling, but she could not help it.

From Literature

The plot is a lovable mishmash of spy nonsense — Dan Aykroyd does a lot of conspiracy babbling — but “Sneakers” works best if you just let it be the relaxed conversation movie it wants to be.

From Los Angeles Times