BABBLING Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

babbling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of babbling

as in babble

Related Words

Relevance

babbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of babble

as in chatting

to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly in such a rush to tell us the news that she just babbled

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in talking

to engage in casual or rambling conversation the little girls babbled contentedly for the whole ride home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of babbling

Noun

Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself. — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2025 Are the adults responding to the cooing and babbling of kids who are not old enough to talk, but who are definitely old enough to learn and to develop their brains' power? — Alan J. Borsuk, jsonline.com, 21 Nov. 2025

Verb

Each treatment villa creates a moment—opening up onto a bespoke, private slice of babbling brook and lush jungle, the sounds of which perfectly underscore any massage. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026 The key to the program is the devices inside the vests, which recognize the pitch of a child speaking or a baby babbling and the pitch of an adult and capture when an adult speaks and a child or baby responds or vice versa. — Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for babbling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for babbling

Noun

The film almost completely drops any and all scientific babble from the book in favor of character development, action sequences, and emotional gut punches.

— Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.

— Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026

Definition of babble

Verb

Within the venue gates but outside the stands, groups of friends were playing cornhole and having picnic dinners from food trucks parked onsite; older attendees were chatting and kids were kicking around mini soccer balls.

— Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026
Anderson was the final one in the gym, spending nearly a good dozen or so minutes seated next to Hornets assistant coach Ryan Frazier, chatting for a lengthy spell while going over some things.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026

Definition of chatting

Verb

Cholowsky visited Chicago for a few days in early June, talking to coaches and executives, hanging out with players and listening to Jerry Reinsdorf’s baseball stories.

— Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Yet nobody could remember ever seeing the man in a cowboy hat before 2024, when he was spotted talking to residents about lawsuits against the local dump.

— Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of talking

Noun

The Korean Football Association was furious, responding to this juvenile, but ultimately harmless, prattle by boycotting the Korean press.

— E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 24 June 2026
Some of the prattle can feel like treading water, a delaying tactic until the inevitable confrontation scene.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026

Definition of prattle

Verb

The clearest early warning is heavy, frantic panting when a dog has not been exercising, along with drooling, red or dark gums, weakness or vomiting.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
Isaacs said the symptoms of heat stress or heat stroke include excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, seizures or collapse.

— Renee Anderson, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of drooling

Verb

The series will feature Questlove and three guests playing a variety of games from Uno to Jenga to original Questlove creations, all while conversing about their lives and careers.

— Mya Copeland, Variety, 2 July 2026
This is because any of various chatbots can induce in us an irresistible sense of our conversing with an actual person.

— Joel Marks, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026

Definition of conversing

Noun

Molly’s dialogue meanders between mindless chattering and singing to herself, musing on the mythological origins of asteroid names, recalling bittersweet memories of her wife and reflecting on faith, science and the afterlife.

— Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
In lieu of keyboards clicking, the sounds of chattering and forks scraping plates fill the space.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2026

Definition of chattering

Browse Nearby Words

babbles

babbling

babblings

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Babbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/babbling. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of babbling

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on babbling

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

yaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes