BABBLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does babble mean? 

• BABBLE (noun)
  The noun BABBLE has 1 sense:

1. gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby

  Familiarity information: BABBLE used as a noun is very rare.

• BABBLE (verb)
  The verb BABBLE has 4 senses:

1. utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way

2. to talk foolishly

3. flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise

4. divulge confidential information or secrets

  Familiarity information: BABBLE used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BABBLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

babble; babbling; lallation

Hypernyms ("babble" is a kind of...):

gibber; gibberish (unintelligible talking)

Derivation:

babble (to talk foolishly)

babble (utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way)

• BABBLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they babble    ... he / she / it babbles   
Past simple: babbled   
Past participle: babbled   
-ing form: babbling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The old man is only babbling--don't pay attention

Hypernyms (to "babble" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue babble

Derivation:

babble (gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby)

babbler (an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker)

babbling (gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby)

Sense 2

Meaning:

To talk foolishly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

babble; blather; blether; blither; smatter

Context example:

The two women babbled and crooned at the baby

Hypernyms (to "babble" is one way to...):

blab; blabber; chatter; clack; gabble; gibber; maunder; palaver; piffle; prate; prattle; tattle; tittle-tattle; twaddle (speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue babble

Derivation:

babble (gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby)

babbler (an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker)

babbling (gibberish resembling the sounds of a baby)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

babble; bubble; burble; guggle; gurgle; ripple

Context example:

babbling brooks

Hypernyms (to "babble" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Verb group:

gurgle (make sounds similar to gurgling water)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 4

Meaning:

Divulge confidential information or secrets

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

babble; babble out; blab; blab out; let the cat out of the bag; peach; sing; spill the beans; talk; tattle

Context example:

Be careful--his secretary talks

Hypernyms (to "babble" is one way to...):

break; bring out; disclose; discover; divulge; expose; give away; let on; let out; reveal; uncover; unwrap (make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret)

Verb group:

spill; talk (reveal information)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

Dick, who had dropped behind us and now brought up the rear, was babbling to himself both prayers and curses as his fever kept rising.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I left him full of the image of this magnificent intellect babbling like a foolish child.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It may save them from foolish and pernicious babbling.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I feel—oh, I can't describe it—I feel the bigness of it, but when I speak, I babble like a little child.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

That is all, the drunkenness of life, the stirring and crawling of the yeast, the babbling of the life that is insane with consciousness that it is alive.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He also babbled incoherently of his mother, of sunny Southern California, and a home among the orange groves and flowers.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

By Jove! my dear fellow, it is nearly nine, and the landlady babbled of green peas at seven-thirty.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The transiting moon will be in Scorpio, which spells a yearning for privacy, so choose a charming bed-and-breakfast inn situated in or near a forest and also near water, such as a stream, lake, inlet, or babbling brook.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Henry was bending over and adding ice to the babbling pot of beans when he was startled by the sound of a blow, an exclamation from Bill, and a sharp snarling cry of pain from among the dogs.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

“The babbling hound, sire, is not always the first at the mort,” the old knight answered.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)