babbling
noun
bab·bling
| \ ˈba-b(ə-)liŋ
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Definition of babbling
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: idle, foolish, or nonsensical talk or chatter
… the … remarks would have been nothing short of treason, if they had not been so obviously the mere babblings of an irresponsible lunatic.— P. G. Wodehouse
2
: the production of meaningless strings of speech sounds by infants
Hearing-impaired children are frequently delayed in babbling. Babbling usually coincides with the beginning of one-handed reaching and rhythmic hand activity.— M. R. Hiller
babbling
adjectiveDefinition of babbling (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: talking idly or foolishly
a babbling drunk
b
: producing meaningless speech sounds
a babbling baby
2
: producing a quiet, continuous sound (such as the sound of flowing water)
a babbling brook
Examples of babbling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
In video from inside the chamber, a baby’s soft babbling can be heard in the background as the speaker of Parliament demands that Ms. Hassan leave. — Carlos Mureithi, New York Times, "Lawmaker Kicked Out of Kenyan Parliament for Taking Baby to Work," 7 Aug. 2019 In video from inside the chamber, a baby’s soft babbling can be heard in the background as the speaker of Parliament demands that Hassan leave. — Megan Specia, BostonGlobe.com, "Lawmaker Kicked Out of Kenyan Parliament for Taking Baby to Work," 7 Aug. 2019 Punctuating the soft babbling of water meandering lazily downstream, nature takes over for technology, coaxing me slowly to consciousness before my phone alarm has a chance to ring. — al.com, "Take a luxury camping trip to the Great Smoky Mountains," 9 July 2019 But the running around, the babbling, the play — the chaos — is highly important. — Arika Herron, Indianapolis Star, "Why a seemingly chaotic pre-K class may be the best kind," 28 June 2019 Delays in speech milestones — no babbling by 12 months, no words by 16 months, no meaningful phrases by 24 months — also serve as clues. — Maria Polletta, azcentral, "Could a Phoenix center's research change how autism is diagnosed?," 2 July 2018 Cat Hollow Park is now even more handicapped accessible with views of the dams, scenic babbling brook and mill ponds. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Killingly Edition," 27 Mar. 2018 Cat Hollow Park is now even more handicapped accessible with views of the dams, scenic babbling brook and mill ponds. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Killingly Edition," 27 Mar. 2018 Once you’re done spending your day admiring the babbling brooks and flowing rivers, make your way to Skeleton Key Brewery’s taproom (8102 Lemont Road, Woodridge, Ill. 630-395-9033). — Shelbie Lynn Bostedt, RedEye Chicago, "Hikes and hops: The best hiking trail and brewery pairs in Illinois," 17 Aug. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Vibrant flowers, local art and babbling water features line the paths that wind throughout the 35-acre Littleton cemetery that brother and sister co-founders Doug Flin and Rebecca Holm refer to as a botanical garden and park. — Elizabeth Hernandez, The Denver Post, "As trends shift, Colorado cemeteries and funeral homes look to inject life into the commemoration of death," 28 July 2019 The two share a booth—and a babbling conversation—over breakfast in the heartwarming ad. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "Tennessee Dad and Babbling Son Land Equally Adorable Denny's Commercial," 20 June 2019 No traffic noise, no ringing cell phones, no babbling newscasts. — Mark Rozzo, Town & Country, "Introducing Blackberry Mountain, the Idyllic New Resort from Blackberry Farm," 11 Feb. 2019 Above all else, there’s a whole lot of Jack-Jack, who’s turning into the Minion of the Incredibles movies: the cute babbling thing that takes over the story and slows down the action for self-indulgent comic riffs. — Tasha Robinson, The Verge, "With Incredibles 2, Pixar moves away from complicated emotions," 15 June 2018 In the bedroom closet was her brother, naked and babbling. — Teri Figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Did son kill mom with hammer in 'fog of Benadryl' after at least 80 allergy pills?," 10 May 2018 Buffered from the drone of the traffic and smog in North America’s most populous metropolis, the former rock quarry’s flowering shrubs and babbling creek are a haven for hummingbirds. — National Geographic, "Inside the Black Market Hummingbird Love Charm Trade," 18 Apr. 2018 TWINSBURG, Ohio - Between the babbling water, lush greenery and cozy seating, the patio at Blue Canyon in Twinsburg feels more like a rustic getaway than an upscale outdoor dining area. — Hannah Drown, cleveland.com, "Blue Canyon provides upscale experience in outdoor setting: Best Patio contest (video, photos, poll)," 27 July 2017 REV’s production reduces one of literatures’s most poetic, erudite speakers to a babbling fool. — Tirdad Derakhshani, Philly.com, "Hamlet in hysterics: REV Theatre Company disappoints at Laurel Hill Cemetery," 9 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'babbling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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