babble

verb

bab·​ble ˈba-bəl How to pronounce babble (audio)
babbled; babbling ˈba-b(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce babble (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to talk enthusiastically or excessively
b
: to utter meaningless or unintelligible sounds
2
: to make sounds as though babbling

transitive verb

1
: to utter in an incoherently or meaninglessly repetitious manner
2
: to reveal by talk that is too free
babble noun
babblement noun
babbler noun

Examples of babble in a Sentence

Pay no attention to her. She's just babbling. He'll babble on about sports all night if you let him. Her cousins were babbling in an unfamiliar dialect.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When medics arrived on the scene, in bodycam footage played during the trial, Cato was seen soaked in sweat and babbling about other children in the neighborhood, appearing to try to blame them. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025 Those harsh, swelling wails of warning become the film’s punctuating sonic motif — in stark contrast to the buoyant, babbling vocal interjections of Alexey Shmurak’s unexpected a cappella score, a literal chorus of humanity amid the chaos. Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025 The gently babbling Ahr turned into a raging river—with floods, flash floods, and tidal waves resulting in widespread tragedy. Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Nov. 2024 After months of cooing and babbling at a baby, my adult vocabulary felt distinctly lacking, and my wine terms all but forgotten. Brittani Sonnenberg, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for babble

Word History

Etymology

Middle English babelen, probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of babble was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Babble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/babble. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

babble

1 of 2 verb
bab·​ble
ˈbab-əl
babbled; babbling
ˈbab-(ə-)liŋ
1
a
: to make meaningless sounds
b
: to talk foolishly or too much
2
: to make the sound of a brook
babbler
ˈbab-(ə-)lər
noun

babble

2 of 2 noun
1
: talk that is not clear
2
: the sound of a brook

More from Merriam-Webster on babble

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