prattled; prattling
ˈprat-liŋ 
ˈpra-tᵊl-iŋ
1
: prate
They prattled on into the night about the old days.
2
: to utter or make meaningless sounds suggestive of the chatter of children : babble
: to say in an unaffected or childish manner
1
: trifling or empty talk
2
: a sound that is meaningless, repetitive, and suggestive of the chatter of children
Examples of prattle in a Sentence
Verb
They prattled on into the night, discussing school, music, and friends.
spent an hour on the phone prattling on about nothing in particular
Noun
parents often claim to understand the prattle of their infant offspring
Recent Examples on the Web
Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025
One half of a pair of young twins prattles on incessantly about some sci-fi arcana while the boy’s bored-looking mother and his quieter brother tune him out.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths.
—Joshua Cohen, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prattle
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Verb
The result is an entirely incoherent crime thriller that features gangsters prattling on about the self and the ego and the soul and then occasionally wandering into an entirely different scene where other gangsters are prattling on about the same thing.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 2025
One half of a pair of young twins prattles on incessantly about some sci-fi arcana while the boy’s bored-looking mother and his quieter brother tune him out.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Noun
Trump prattles on about the economy while the actors freeze behind him in their ancient Galilee garb.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths.
—Joshua Cohen, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prattle
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Prattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prattle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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