prattle 1 of 2

noun

Definition of prattlenext
as in babble
unintelligible or meaningless talk parents often claim to understand the prattle of their infant offspring

Synonyms & Similar Words

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prattle

2 of 2

verb

ˈpra-tᵊl How to pronounce prattle (audio)
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
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
Verb
The father, Man, prattles on about mowing the lawn, painting the fence, and managing their orchard’s irrigation, while the son periodically falls off his chair from boredom. — Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 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 See All Example Sentences for prattle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prattle
  1. babble
  2. chat
  3. chatter
  4. nonsense
  5. talk
  6. gabble
  7. jabber
  8. converse
Noun
  • And three, sometimes four, of those many waking hours are spent in the car — bouncing from home to school to her second or third job and home again — with music at full blast to drown out the babble of anxiety, most of it financial.
    — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Companies modelled after Mary Kay that have reprised empowerment babble for their founders’ gain are mentioned but receive scarce judgment.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 15 July 2026
Definition of babble
Verb
  • So the two started chatting and wondered if there was a resource where they could get connected to couples having a wedding in their area who needed a seat-filler of sorts.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The petition, the group chat coordinating the town hall, the livestream of the council vote—all of it runs through the buildings being protested.
    — Zev Laine, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of chat
Verb
  • In the novel, likewise, the narrator assumes an almost Homeric guise, comparing current harbor gossip to chatter from the Phoenician, Cretan, Greek, and Roman eras.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Suspended in a pool, holding onto an oxygen mask as her teeth chattered, Julia Wolf began to seriously consider the possibility of hypothermia.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • Halo 4, 5, and Infinite used sci-fi nonsense to transform him into this larger-than-life figure, rendering the rest of the UNSC largely powerless in the process.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • These accusations are utter nonsense, concocted from distortions, half-truths and lies.
    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Verb
  • Publicly, Pacific Fusion talks mostly about its future ability to supply electricity, a promise the fusion industry has made for years.
    — Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The 6,200-square-foot venue spans two levels and features a 700-square-foot dry sauna, an infrared sauna and a 46-degree cold plunge, with dim communal areas built in to encourage guests to linger and talk.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of talk
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
Definition of gabble
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
Definition of jabber
Verb
  • The Pope woke up from surgical anesthesia without any complications, and requested dinner while conversing with Vatican staff.
    — Alice Park, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Users will be able to converse with Siri, and their conversations will continue on their iPhone or iPad.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of converse

Browse Nearby Words

prats
prattle
prattled
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Cite this Entry

“Prattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prattle. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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