blather

1 of 2

verb

blath·​er ˈbla-t͟hər How to pronounce blather (audio)
blathered; blathering ˈbla-t͟h(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce blather (audio)

intransitive verb

: to talk foolishly at length
often used with on
blatherer noun

blather

2 of 2

noun

1
: voluble nonsensical or inconsequential talk or writing
2

Examples of blather in a Sentence

Verb my attention wandered as she blathered on about her endlessly active social life Noun listening to a lot of blather from politicians about who's to blame for the bad economy wanted to retire quietly and without all the blather of an office send-off
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
His Toby Oxman may lack self-awareness, but there’s a wealth of understanding in the performance, which begins with a symphony of exquisite awkwardness: a cold call Toby makes to an old classmate, blathering candidly over the phone about his own failures. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2024 All 10 guests knew her well and each in turn quietly expressed their condolences, with one exception, who determinedly ignored the topic and blathered on about how Covid restrictions were impacting her summer holiday plans. Dina Gachman Daniel Arnold, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Noun
Like many myths, Freud’s statement contains a sliver of truth and a slather of blather. Steven Kotler, Time, 11 Aug. 2023 Because his patter doesn’t entertain you and interferes with your enlightenment, as well as other members of the class, let those who are willing to tolerate his blather continue his Bible study and business course, while the rest of you move forward with another, less egotistical instructor. Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 5 Apr. 2021 See all Example Sentences for blather 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Old Norse blathra; akin to Middle High German blōdern to chatter

First Known Use

Verb

1524, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blather was in 1524

Dictionary Entries Near blather

Cite this Entry

“Blather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blather. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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