baby talk
noun
1
a
: the consciously imperfect or altered speech used by adults in speaking to small children
b
: the syntactically imperfect speech or phonetically modified forms used by small children learning to talk
2
: oversimplified speech or writing
Examples of baby talk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His mother, Veronica Farrish, refused to let family members use baby talk with him.
—
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
Her language is a mixture of Vietnamese and baby talk and
maybe something of her own thrown in.
—Viet Thanh Nguyen, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2023
At 13 weeks, babies can start to imitate sounds, babble in baby talk, and are beginning to use their hands more.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023
With more research, scientists could add support for this finding and determine the extent of dolphins’ baby talk.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2023
The dogs bark incessantly, and their owners respond with baby talk.
—Roxane Gay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2023
In Torvald’s presence, Nora remains a recognizable type, the strategically chirpy songbird pursing her lips and cooing in baby talk.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
Forget baby talk--give me kitten talk any day!Mother-offspring recognition in the domestic cat: Kittens recognize their own mother's call.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2016
The conversation between Kim and North wasn't the only baby talk on Thursday's episode of The Kardashians.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2022
See More
Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
Her language is a mixture of Vietnamese and baby talk and
maybe something of her own thrown in.
—Viet Thanh Nguyen, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2023
At 13 weeks, babies can start to imitate sounds, babble in baby talk, and are beginning to use their hands more.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023
With more research, scientists could add support for this finding and determine the extent of dolphins’ baby talk.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2023
The dogs bark incessantly, and their owners respond with baby talk.
—Roxane Gay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2023
In Torvald’s presence, Nora remains a recognizable type, the strategically chirpy songbird pursing her lips and cooing in baby talk.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
Forget baby talk--give me kitten talk any day!Mother-offspring recognition in the domestic cat: Kittens recognize their own mother's call.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2016
The conversation between Kim and North wasn't the only baby talk on Thursday's episode of The Kardashians.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'baby talk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near baby talk
Cite this Entry
“Baby talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baby%20talk. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
baby talk
noun1
: the speech used by very young children learning to talk
2
: speech like baby talk sometimes used by adults to speak to very young children
Medical Definition
baby talk
noun1
: the syntactically imperfect speech or phonetically modified forms used by small children learning to talk
2
: the consciously imperfect or altered speech often used by adults in speaking to small children
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