babbling

[ bab-ling ]
See synonyms for babbling on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle: the constant babbling of idle gossips.

  2. the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants around the age of three months.

adjective
  1. chattering or prattling aimlessly: The babbling crowd quieted and funneled back into the auditorium at the end of intermission.

  2. making a continuous murmuring sound: a babbling brook.

Origin of babbling

1
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelinde, bablyng; see origin at babble, -ing1 (for the noun senses), -ing2 (for the adjective)

Other words from babbling

  • bab·bling·ly, adverb

Words Nearby babbling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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