prattle

1 of 2

verb

prat·​tle ˈpra-tᵊl How to pronounce prattle (audio)
prattled; prattling ˈprat-liŋ How to pronounce prattle (audio)
ˈpra-tᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1
: prate
2
: to utter or make meaningless sounds suggestive of the chatter of children : babble

transitive verb

: to say in an unaffected or childish manner
prattler
ˈprat-lər How to pronounce prattle (audio)
ˈpra-tᵊl-ər
noun
prattlingly
ˈprat-liŋ-lē How to pronounce prattle (audio)
-tᵊl-iŋ-
adverb

prattle

2 of 2

noun

1
: trifling or empty talk
2
: a sound that is meaningless, repetitive, and suggestive of the chatter of children

Examples of prattle in a Sentence

Verb They prattled on into the night, discussing school, music, and friends. spent an hour on the phone prattling on about nothing in particular Noun parents often claim to understand the prattle of their infant offspring
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Of course, some are just weird, like the Grampy Turnips, little old vegetable men planted in the soil who prattle on with unsolicited advice that’s occasionally useful and mostly waffle about. Josh Broadwell, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024 While some critics prattle on in the comments with doubts, D'Amelio has stayed present throughout rehearsals and leaned on her costars — many of whom are also new to Broadway — to keep her concentration. Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths. Joshua Cohen, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 The larcenous prattle is, in this sense, a typically Wiig-ian set piece: sunny, strained and flailing for dignity. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prattle 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Low German pratelen; akin to Middle Dutch praten to prate

First Known Use

Verb

1532, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prattle was in 1532

Dictionary Entries Near prattle

Cite this Entry

“Prattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prattle. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

prattle

verb
prat·​tle
ˈprat-ᵊl
prattled; prattling
-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
prattle noun
prattler
-lər
-ᵊl-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on prattle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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