The Complete Vocabulary Builder Workbook

babble

IPA:

Dictionary definition of babble

To speak rapidly and incoherently, producing unintelligible or nonsensical sounds or words.
"In an attempt to make conversation, he began to babble about anything that came to his mind."

Detailed meaning of babble

It often conveys a sense of disorganized or confused communication, lacking clarity or meaningful content. When someone babbles, their speech may be characterized by a rapid and continuous flow of words without clear structure or logical coherence. It is commonly associated with talking in a manner that is difficult to understand or follow, often due to excitement, confusion, or immaturity. The term 'babble' can also be used metaphorically to describe the production of excessive or irrelevant information or noise, such as in a chaotic or overcrowded situation. Overall, 'babble' signifies a form of speech that is characterized by rapid and incoherent utterances, lacking clear meaning or purpose.

Example sentences containing babble

1. The brook near my house always seems to babble cheerfully, no matter the season.
2. When excited, young children often babble, making it hard to understand what they are saying.
3. As they played with their toys, the babies began to babble to each other in their secret language.
4. The water seemed to babble words of peace as it flowed smoothly over the pebbles.
5. During the conference, he couldn't help but babble with enthusiasm about the new project.
6. The tourists could hear the river babble as they hiked through the dense forest.

History and etymology of babble

The verb 'babble' has a playful and onomatopoeic etymology. It mimics the sound it describes. Its origins can be traced to the Middle English word 'babelen' or 'bablen,' which imitated the sound of someone speaking rapidly and indistinctly, akin to the sound of a baby's babbling. This Middle English term likely developed from the Old French word 'babeler,' which meant to prattle or chatter. The word 'babble' captures the idea of speaking in an incoherent or nonsensical manner, often producing unintelligible sounds or words, reminiscent of the way infants explore language by making sounds that do not yet form recognizable words. The etymology of 'babble' emphasizes the whimsical connection between sound and meaning, reflecting its playful and expressive nature.

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Further usage examples of babble

1. I love how my little niece's eyes light up as she starts to babble about her day at kindergarten.
2. As the wind passed through the leaves, it seemed to babble a haunting melody in the stillness of the night.
3. I find it soothing to listen to the soft babble of a fountain while reading a book.
4. The crowd began to babble in anticipation as the movie premiere was about to start.
5. She tends to babble when she's nervous, which is a dead giveaway that she's hiding something.
6. When he gets nervous, he tends to babble uncontrollably.
7. The excited children would babble about their day at the theme park.
8. After a few drinks, she would often babble about her dreams.
9. The toddler began to babble happily as she played with her toys.
10. Under the influence of anesthesia, he started to babble incoherently.
11. The politician would babble on without addressing the real issues.
12. The old radio would sometimes babble with static interference.
13. She couldn't help but babble with excitement about her new job.
14. The sleep-deprived student would babble during the late-night study sessions.
15. When nervous, he tends to babble and lose his train of thought.
16. The excited fans would babble about their favorite sports team.
17. The exhausted hiker would often babble from fatigue.
18. The malfunctioning computer would babble random characters on the screen.
19. She would babble on about her travel adventures for hours.
20. The toddler began to babble nonsense as he explored the world.
21. During the conference, the speaker would sometimes babble off-topic.
22. He couldn't stop himself from babbling when he was anxious.
23. The intoxicated man would babble unintelligibly at the bar.
24. The radio would sometimes babble during thunderstorms.
25. She would babble with excitement about her upcoming wedding.