Synonyms of rattle

rattle 1 of 2

noun

as in roar

loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound

I'd go nuts if I had to endure the rattle of that bottling plant every day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• roar
• noise
• chatter
• clatter
• commotion
• racket
• blare
• cacophony
• clamor
• din
• bang
• clangor
• bruit
• bluster
• brawl
• discordance
• babel
• decibel(s)
• katzenjammer
• bowwow
• dissonance
• discord
• boom
• jangle
• hubbub
• tumult
• rumpus
• clap
• hullabaloo
• blast
• uproar
• crash
• furor
• crack
• hurly-burly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• still
• silence
• quiet
• stillness
• lull
• hush
• calm
• silentness
• quietude
• serenity
• tranquility

rattle

2 of 2

verb

ˈra-tᵊl 

1

as in to clatter

to make a series of short sharp noises

the children tromped through the kitchen, making the plates on the shelf rattle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clatter
• click
• clack
• clink
• clash
• chirp
• clank
• clang
• crash
• sputter
• chink
• racket
• spatter
• clop
• clip-clop
• clop-clop

2

as in to chat

to engage in casual or rambling conversation

busily rattling away about our vacation plans, we didn't listen to the announcements and missed our flight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• chat
• talk
• converse
• chatter
• babble
• prattle
• prate
• patter
• jaw
• cackle
• jabber
• gabble
• rap
• gab
• blab
• run on
• schmooze
• blow smoke
• gas
• natter
• chin
• discuss
• gossip
• visit
• chaffer
• palaver
• kibitz
• shoot the breeze
• chew the fat
• tattle
• talk a blue streak
• twitter
• expatiate
• yap
• descant
• yak
• yammer

3

as in to ramble

to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point

she rattled on and on about all her European shopping trips, but I wasn't really listening

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ramble
• wander
• chatter
• stray
• chat
• blather (on)
• run on
• go on
• maunder
• deviate
• run one's mouth
• digress
• drool
• sidetrack
• burble
• prate
• patter
• gibber
• prattle
• blabber
• gab
• blither
• jabber
• gabble
• waffle
• blab
• bumble
• drivel

4

as in to embarrass

to throw into a state of self-conscious distress

don't let a little mistake rattle you while you're playing during the piano recital

Synonyms & Similar Words

• embarrass
• confuse
• fluster
• bother
• disconcert
• disturb
• unsettle
• faze
• upset
• mortify
• discomfit
• confound
• distress
• discountenance
• abash
• discomfort
• perturb
• agitate
• nonplus
• unhinge
• humiliate
• disquiet
• dismay
• shame
• put off
• humble
• discompose
• put out
• degrade
• demean
• debase
• chagrin
• queer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relieve
• soothe
• calm
• comfort
• console
• encourage
• cheer
• assure
• reassure
• embolden
• buoy
• hearten

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb rattle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of rattle are abash, discomfit, disconcert, and embarrass. While all these words mean "to distress by confusing or confounding," rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.

rattled by all the television cameras

When might abash be a better fit than rattle?

Although the words abash and rattle have much in common, abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority.

abashed by her swift and cutting retort

When could discomfit be used to replace rattle?

While in some cases nearly identical to rattle, discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.

hecklers discomfited the speaker

When is disconcert a more appropriate choice than rattle?

The words disconcert and rattle are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

When would embarrass be a good substitute for rattle?

In some situations, the words embarrass and rattle are roughly equivalent. However, embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.

the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rattle

Noun

This siren’s song arises from the murmur of doves on an Arizona stock tank and the rattle of Indiana cornstalks. —Jim Moore, Outdoor Life, 8 Oct. 2025

Think things like rattles, balls, activity gyms, and more. —Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025

Verb

Brooklyn forward Rebecca Cooke received a pass in behind the Dallas defense and rattled it off the crossbar from close range. —José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026

In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates. —Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026