What does "babble" mean?
Idle talk; senseless prattle
Babble
/ˈbæb.(ə)l/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Idle talk; senseless prattle
- Grammar: babble is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: absurdity, aesopian language, amphigory, argot.
- Useful contrasts: articulate, clarity, coherence.
- Usage evidence: His mystical babble bores me, and I am not going to continue listening to such bullshit. I have more important things to do.
How to use "babble"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "babble" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "babble" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "babble" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "babble" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "babble" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absurdity" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "babble", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Idle talk; senseless prattle uncountable, usually
"This is mere moral babble."
- 2 gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby wordnet
- 3 Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur. uncountable, usually
"[M]an has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see in the babble of our young children; whilst no child has an instinctive tendency to brew, bake, or write."
- 4 A sound like that of water gently flowing around obstructions. uncountable, usually
"[T]he babble of the stream / Fell, and without the steady glare / Shrank the sick olive sere and small."
Verb
- 1 To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds intransitive
"The men were babbling, so we couldn't make sense of anything."
- 2 divulge confidential information or secrets wordnet
- 3 To talk incoherently; to utter meaningless words. intransitive
- 4 to talk foolishly wordnet
- 5 To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle. intransitive
"She babbled on for hours about the importance of some new gadget."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way wordnet
- 7 To make a continuous murmuring noise, like shallow water running over stones. intransitive
"Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent."
- 8 flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise wordnet
- 9 To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat words or sounds in a childish way without understanding. transitive
"All this vvhile John had conn'd over ſuch a Catalogue of hard VVords, as vvere enough to conjure up the Devil; theſe he uſed to babble indifferently in all Companies, eſpecially at Coffee-houſes; ſo that his Neighbour Tradeſmen began to ſhun his Company as a Man that vvas crack'd."
- 10 To reveal; to give away (a secret). transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"His mystical babble bores me, and I am not going to continue listening to such bullshit. I have more important things to do."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "babble"?
Common synonyms include: absurdity, aesopian language, amphigory, argot, babble out, babbled.
How do you use "babble" in a sentence?
His mystical babble bores me, and I am not going to continue listening to such bullshit. I have more important things to do.
How do you pronounce "babble"?
Pronounced /ˈbæb.(ə)l/.
Etymology
From Middle English babelen, from Old English *bæblian, also wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), from Proto-West Germanic *bablōn, *wablōn, variants of *babalōn, from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰa-bʰa-, perhaps a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”), or a variant of Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”), or a merger of the two, possibly ultimately onomatopoeic/mimicry of infantile sounds (compare babe, baby). Cognate with Saterland Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), West Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), Dutch babbelen (“to babble, chat”), German Low German babbeln (“to babble”), German babbeln (“to babble”), Danish bable, bavle (“to babble”), Swedish babbla (“to babble”), Icelandic babla (“to babble”). Unrelated to Babel.