babbling
/ˈbæb.əl/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈæbəlɪŋ] /ˈbæb.əl/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈæbəlɪŋ] /ˈba-b(ə-)liŋ/ (ame, mw)
babbling — verb
- babblingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- babblings3rd person singular
- babblinging-ing form
- babblingedpast simple
1. to speak fast in a muddled or overexcited way, often so other people cannot foll
to speak fast in a muddled or overexcited way, often so other people cannot follow you well.
Ritu came off the roller coaster babbling about the huge drop.
babble about + topic after excitement
After the surprise call, Andrés kept babbling into the phone and laughing.
keep babbling in an excited state
The witness kept babbling so fast that the officer could not write it down.
Otis woke from the fever babbling about trains and lost tickets.
- speak clearly
emphasizes calm, understandable speech.
文法句型
babble about + topic
babble to + person
babble on
用法筆記
Usually intransitive and often followed by 'about' when the speaker keeps jumping through ideas. Unlike neutral 'talk', babble suggests speed, confusion, or foolish excitement.
常見錯誤
2. if a stream babbles, it makes a soft steady water sound as it runs over rocks.
if a stream babbles, it makes a soft steady water sound as it runs over rocks.
A narrow stream was babbling behind the campsite all night.
stream + babble for gentle water noise
Behind the garden wall, water babbled over the loose rocks.
babble over + rocks
The little river babbled beside the path as Liam packed lunch.
Even in winter, the spring kept babbling near the old mill.
- fall silent
describes the water no longer making that gentle sound.
文法句型
stream + babble
water babble over + rocks
用法筆記
Used mainly in descriptive writing about streams, brooks, or springs. It refers to the sound of moving water rather than to the water's speed.
常見錯誤
babbling — noun
1. talk that sounds silly, pointless, or not worth listening to.
talk that sounds silly, pointless, or not worth listening to.
Everyone at the table ignored Leo's drunken babbling about secret treasure.
drunken babbling about + topic
The article was full of political babbling and offered no real plan.
full of babbling for empty talk
Stop that babbling and tell me what broke in the kitchen.
The host cut off the caller's babbling and moved to the next question.
- sense
speech or ideas that are reasonable and worth hearing.
文法句型
a lot of babbling
babbling about + topic
stop the babbling
用法筆記
Usually uncountable and often carries a dismissive tone. This sense is about foolish content, not the background sound of many voices together.
2. speech-like sounds a baby makes before using real words.
speech-like sounds a baby makes before using real words.
The twins' happy babbling filled the bus as the family headed home.
baby babbling in early language stage
Mei recorded her son's babbling before his first birthday.
The speech therapist listened for longer stretches of babbling during playtime.
Between spoonfuls of porridge, the baby answered Grandpa with soft babbling.
- clear speech
refers to recognizable words rather than pre-word sounds.
文法句型
baby babbling
listen to babbling
babbling during play
用法筆記
Usually refers to pre-word language development in babies. Distinguish from noun/1, which is dismissive talk by older speakers, and noun/3, which is a background murmur.
3. a soft mixed murmur, especially when many people are speaking at once.
a soft mixed murmur, especially when many people are speaking at once.
The babbling from the lobby grew louder before the doors opened.
the babbling from + place
From the café terrace came a steady babbling of tourists at lunch.
babbling of voices in a public place
The guide paused until the babbling in the hall finally settled.
A faint babbling drifted up from the market below the hotel.
- silence
the absence of that background voice sound.
文法句型
the babbling from + place
babbling of voices
用法筆記
This sense focuses on the sound itself rather than on what people are saying. It is often used for background crowd noise in halls, cafés, or markets.
babbling — adjective
- babblingpositive
- more babblingcomparative
- most babblingsuperlative
1. talking too much in a silly or uncontrolled way.
talking too much in a silly or uncontrolled way.
The babbling guest followed the waiter and would not stop joking.
babbling + person for uncontrolled talk
A babbling reporter chased the actor across the station platform.
We escaped the babbling tour group and found a quiet side street.
The nurse gently calmed the babbling patient after the injection.
- gabbling
stresses very fast speech; babbling can also suggest confusion or silliness.
- garrulous
more formal and often just means very talkative, not necessarily foolish.
- chattering
lighter and often cheerful; babbling sounds less controlled.
- quiet
describes someone or something that is not speaking much.
文法句型
babbling + person/group
用法筆記
Most often used before a noun such as 'guest', 'crowd', or 'patient'. It suggests constant speech that feels tiring, noisy, or not fully sensible.
2. making speech-like sounds without real words yet.
making speech-like sounds without real words yet.
The babbling toddler pointed at the moon from the crib.
babbling + toddler in early speech stage
A babbling baby kicked the blanket and stared at Zayd.
The video shows babbling infants reaching for bright toy keys.
The babbling child copied the rhythm of Grandma's song.
- articulate
describes speech that is formed clearly into real words.
文法句型
babbling + baby/child
用法筆記
Used mainly for babies or very young children before clear words appear. Although common in child-development contexts, it is still an everyday descriptive adjective rather than specialist jargon.
3. making a gentle repeated sound like moving water.
making a gentle repeated sound like moving water.
We crossed a babbling stream on flat stones before sunset.
babbling + stream in nature writing
The cabin stood beside a babbling brook under pine trees.
common collocation: babbling brook
Ivy leaned over the babbling fountain in the school courtyard.
We ate lunch next to a babbling spring behind the temple.
- still
describes water that makes no active sound.
文法句型
babbling + brook/stream/river
用法筆記
Often modifies natural water words such as 'brook', 'stream', and 'spring'. It describes the pleasant continuous sound, not simply the fact that water is moving.