as in babble
unintelligible or meaningless talk
parents often claim to understand the prattle of their infant offspring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
spent an hour on the phone prattling on about nothing in particular
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to chatter
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
stop prattling and calmly tell us the news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 prattle
Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
With more than half of Senate Republicans now officially backing Mr. Trump’s bid for president, those entreaties are becoming harder to ignore as prattle from Palm Beach.
—Annie Karni, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2024
Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
There were no pixies prattling songs about peace in Paris.
—Sally Jenkins, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for prattle
Noun
The larcenous prattle is, in this sense, a typically Wiig-ian set piece: sunny, strained and flailing for dignity.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024
With more than half of Senate Republicans now officially backing Mr. Trump’s bid for president, those entreaties are becoming harder to ignore as prattle from Palm Beach.
—Annie Karni, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2024
Verb
While some critics prattle on in the comments with doubts, D'Amelio has stayed present throughout rehearsals and leaned on her costars — many of whom are also new to Broadway — to keep her concentration.
—Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024
There were no pixies prattling songs about peace in Paris.
—Sally Jenkins, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for prattle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prattle
Noun
-
Now the babble about them is back.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Mesopotamian corpses, stirred by the babble of trade, wander the halls wrapped in shrouds of extravagant malice.—
David Velasco,
Harpers Magazine,
18 Dec. 2023
Verb
-
Once created, the AI avatars are game-ready assets, capable of not just chatting with fans, but interacting within apps and games.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Klarna, for example, launched a hotline in June that anyone can call to chat with an AI version of CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For the chattering women, by contrast, the tool of power is writing; and for people who were almost certainly illiterate, the writing takes on almost magical characteristics.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Weiss, the entrepreneurial and opinionated co-founder of The Free Press website, is an irresistible story to the media chattering classes.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The other side in a debate with common sense is nonsense.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
22 Oct. 2025
-
That kind of no-nonsense mentality cuts right through all the nonsense and puts the focus on the work.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Kids aged 7 to 18 can also walk in for the shot without a prescription, as long as a parent or guardian gives consent and talks it over with the pharmacist.—
Evan Moore
November 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Perennially delighted and deeply uncool, Tascioni gabbles about the wonders of the city while her interlocutors roll their eyes at her lack of sophistication and taste.—
Lili Loofbourow,
Washington Post,
29 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
Some children clustered there to jabber and run madly about, while others just wanted attention and knew how to get it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
-
And given that these are not professional actors, or even (in most cases) people who aspire to be, LaBeouf’s words to them, full of deadly serious jabber about empathy and ego, are pumped up with an intensity that feels overdone and inappropriate.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Verb
-
After reading Wuoronos’ story, Pralle began conversing with her through letters, eventually persuading Wuornos to let Pralle adopt her.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Have people lost the ability to converse?—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
27 Oct. 2025
Video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
Cite this Entry
“Prattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prattle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share