verb C2 Proficient

babble

BAB-l

Babble (verb) means to talk quickly and continuously in a way that is unclear, meaningless, or hard to follow. Example: “He babbled nervously through the entire interview.”

verb

To talk quickly and continuously in a way that is unclear, meaningless, or hard to follow.

"He babbled nervously through the entire interview."

"The toddler babbled happily in her crib."

To let slip a secret by talking carelessly.

"She babbled the surprise party plans to the wrong person."

noun

Rapid, unclear, or meaningless talk.

"All I heard through the wall was a babble of voices."

How to use babble

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo talk fast and unclearly, or (for a baby) to make speech-like sounds before real words come.

Common mistake

Not related to the biblical Babel, despite the similar sound and shared theme of confused speech.

Common pairings

babble on babble incoherently a babble of voices

Word forms

babbled past tense, babbles plural, babbles singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “babble” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He _____ nervously through the entire interview.

Etymology

From Old English roots meaning "to chatter", likely imitating the repetitive sounds of infant speech (compare "baby").

Origin: Old English

Synonyms

View more →

talk sing bubble peach ripple blab burble tattle babbling guggle gurgle blather

Related words

say tell talk talking speak telling discussion conversation

Rhymes for babble

rabble dabble scrabble squabble psychobabble

See all rhymes for babble →

Frequently asked questions

What does “babble” mean?

The word “babble” means to talk quickly and continuously in a way that is unclear, meaningless, or hard to follow. In plain terms, to talk fast and unclearly, or (for a baby) to make speech-like sounds before real words come.

How do you pronounce “babble”?

“Babble” is pronounced BAB-l (/ˈbæb.(ə)l/ in IPA).

How do you use “babble” in a sentence?

Here is “babble” used in a sentence: “He babbled nervously through the entire interview.”

What part of speech is “babble”?

Depending on how it is used, “babble” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “babble” come from?

The word “babble” comes from Old English. From Old English roots meaning "to chatter", likely imitating the repetitive sounds of infant speech (compare "baby").

How many meanings does “babble” have?

“Babble” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to talk quickly and continuously in a way that is unclear, meaningless, or hard to follow.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include babble:

Words with old & middle English origins C2 vocabulary words

People also searched

say tell talk talking speak telling discussion conversation