prate

[ preyt ]
See synonyms for: prateprating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),prat·ed, prat·ing.
  1. to talk excessively and pointlessly; babble: They prated on until I was ready to scream.

verb (used with object),prat·ed, prat·ing.
  1. to utter in empty or foolish talk: to prate absurdities with the greatest seriousness.

noun
  1. act of prating.

  2. empty or foolish talk.

Origin of prate

1
1375–1425; late Middle English praten (v.) <Middle Dutch praeten.See prattle

Other words from prate

  • prater, noun
  • prat·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·prat·ing, adjective

Words Nearby prate

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

How to use prate in a sentence

  • My fanaticism is, that I insist on the American people abolishing Slavery, or ceasing to prate of the rights of man.

    No Compromise with Slavery | William Lloyd Garrison

British Dictionary definitions for prate

prate

/ (preɪt) /


verb
  1. (intr) to talk idly and at length; chatter

  2. (tr) to utter in an idle or empty way

noun
  1. idle or trivial talk; prattle; chatter

Origin of prate

1
C15: of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch prāten, Icelandic and Norwegian prata, Danish prate

Derived forms of prate

  • prater, noun
  • pratingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012