babbling

American

[bab-ling] / ˈbæb lɪŋ /

noun

foolish or meaningless chatter; prattle.

the constant babbling of idle gossips.
the random production of meaningless vocal sounds characteristic of infants around the age of three months.

adjective

chattering or prattling aimlessly.

The babbling crowd quieted and funneled back into the auditorium at the end of intermission.
making a continuous murmuring sound.

a babbling brook.

Other Word Forms

babblingly

adverb

Etymology

Origin of babbling

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English babelinde, bablyng; see origin at babble, -ing ¹ (for the noun senses), -ing ² (for the adjective)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

babbling

In the book, most homes have parlor walls with huge video screens that broadcast streams of babbling commentary for both entertainment and manipulation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The phrase echoed the one I had spoken years earlier to a babbling toddler in a Baltimore church.

From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2026

This, of course, is unscientific babbling, which is why the professor is a beloved guest on Rogan’s show.

From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2025

Fortunately, almost as soon as Dek lands on Genna, a planet of murderous flora, to bag his Kalisk, he runs into a babbling half-robot missing her legs who makes the movie much more compelling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025

Even after we pulled into the driveway of Frances’s house and her friend approached, she was babbling away, complaining now.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023