verb
babble
BAB-l
verb
1
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."
2
To let slip a secret by talking carelessly.
"She babbled the surprise party plans to the wrong person."
noun
1
Rapid, unclear, or meaningless talk.
"All I heard through the wall was a babble of voices."
How to Use Babble
Learner’s notesIn 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
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Etymology
From Old English roots meaning "to chatter", likely imitating the repetitive sounds of infant speech (compare "baby").