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
  • Fresh off a red-eye flight after winning his fourth Hugo Award, Scalzi stopped by to chat with us about his newest novel, Monsters of Ohio.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Between chatting with volunteers and meeting fans, Kate opened up a bit about family life.
    — Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of chat
Verb
  • Together the duo enjoy scaring themselves into a teeth-chattering but delightful evening.
    — Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • The bloc also roped Canada into this nonsense, and recently asked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to dial the generosity up a notch, according to Politico.
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The jokes and nonsense started almost as soon as the first rumors trickled out that Jay, whose company Roc Nation has executive-produced the Super Bowl halftime show since 2019, might be choosing himself to headline next year’s show.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Verb
  • Negating the new map On the trail, Jeffries and Garcia talked less about their relationship.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In the driveway, next to a yellow pizza box, Litberg could be seen talking and signing to his workers.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 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
  • Another image shows Pitt and Debicki conversing at a bar, while a different shot features him on a tennis court with Debicki, Caan and Gugino.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The Pope woke up from surgical anesthesia without any complications, and requested dinner while conversing with Vatican staff.
    — Alice Park, Time, 14 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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