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babble

verb, noun — 9 senses

babble

verb

/ˈbæb.(ə)l/

Etymology

From Middle English babelen, from Old English *bæblian, also wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), from Proto-West Germanic *bablōn, *wablōn, variants of *babalōn, from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰa-bʰa-, perhaps a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”), or a variant of Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”), or a merger of the two, possibly ultimately onomatopoeic/mimicry of infantile sounds (compare babe, baby). Cognate with Saterland Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), West Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), Dutch babbelen (“to babble, chat”), German Low German babbeln (“to babble”), German babbeln (“to babble”), Danish bable, bavle (“to babble”), Swedish babbla (“to babble”), Icelandic babla (“to babble”). Unrelated to Babel.

1

To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds

  • The men were babbling, so we couldn't make sense of anything.
2

To talk incoherently; to utter meaningless words.

3

To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.

  • She babbled on for hours about the importance of some new gadget.
  • Radical rather than rhetorical, babble like an oracle2022, Slipknot, The Dying Song (Time To Sing)
4

To make a continuous murmuring noise, like shallow water running over stones.

  • Hounds are said to babble, or to be babbling, when they are too noisy after having found a good scent.
  • In every babbling brook he finds a friend.1815, William Wordsworth, “Extracts from Descriptive Sketches”, in Poems […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], published 1815, →OCLC:
5

To utter in an indistinct or incoherent way; to repeat words or sounds in a childish way without understanding.

  • All this vvhile John had conn'd over ſuch a Catalogue of hard VVords, as vvere enough to conjure up the Devil; theſe he uſed to babble indifferently in all Companies, eſpecially at Coffee-houſes; ſo that his Neighbour Tradeſmen began to ſhun his Company as a Man that vvas crack'd.1733, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], Alexander Pope, compiler, “Law is a Bottomless Pit. Or, The History of John Bull. […]. [The First Part.] Chapter VII. How John Bull was so Mightily Pleas’d with His Success, that He was Going to Leave Off His Trade, and Turn Lawyer.”, in Miscellanies, 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Benjamin Motte, […], →OCLC, page 23:
6

To reveal; to give away (a secret).

Derived terms
babblative, babbledom, Babbledom, babblemouth, babbler, babbling brook, outbabble

babble

noun
Etymology

From Middle English babelen, from Old English *bæblian, also wæflian (“to talk foolishly”), from Proto-West Germanic *bablōn, *wablōn, variants of *babalōn, from Proto-Germanic *babalōną (“to chatter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰa-bʰa-, perhaps a reduplication of Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”), or a variant of Proto-Indo-European *baba- (“to talk vaguely, mumble”), or a merger of the two, possibly ultimately onomatopoeic/mimicry of infantile sounds (compare babe, baby). Cognate with Saterland Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), West Frisian babbelje (“to babble”), Dutch babbelen (“to babble, chat”), German Low German babbeln (“to babble”), German babbeln (“to babble”), Danish bable, bavle (“to babble”), Swedish babbla (“to babble”), Icelandic babla (“to babble”). Unrelated to Babel.

1

Usually Idle talk; senseless prattle.

  • This is mere moral babble.1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC, line 823:
  • Assassin's Creed gets described as "more than a game" and "a platform for meaningful exploration and reflection wrapped in the excitement of unforgettable gameplay"—which is executive babble, let's be honest.2025 February 23, Harvey Randall, “Ubi Strikes Back”, in PC Gamer (US), number 392, page 9:
2

Usually Inarticulate speech; constant or confused murmur.

  • [M]an has an instinctive tendency to speak, as we see in the babble of our young children; whilst no child has an instinctive tendency to brew, bake, or write.1871, Charles Darwin, “Comparison of the Mental Powers of Man and the Lower Animals”, in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, Part I (On the Descent of Man), page 55:
3

Usually A sound like that of water gently flowing around obstructions.

  • [T]he babble of the stream / Fell, and without the steady glare / Shrank the sick olive sere and small.1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “Mariana in the South”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 23:
Derived terms
babblesome, babble-word, babble word, babbly, Babeldom, bibble-babble, cryptobabble, cyberbabble, ecobabble, Eurobabble, mathbabble, niggerbabble, yoga-babble
Related terms
babblement, babblery
Hyponyms
astrobabble, bizbabble, econobabble, edu-babble, neurobabble, niggerbabble, psychobabble, sociobabble, technobabble

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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