prattle

1 of 2

verb

prat·​tle ˈpra-tᵊl How to pronounce prattle (audio)
prattled; prattling ˈprat-liŋ How to pronounce prattle (audio)
ˈpra-tᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1
: prate
2
: to utter or make meaningless sounds suggestive of the chatter of children : babble

transitive verb

: to say in an unaffected or childish manner
prattler
ˈprat-lər How to pronounce prattle (audio)
ˈpra-tᵊl-ər
noun
prattlingly
ˈprat-liŋ-lē How to pronounce prattle (audio)
-tᵊl-iŋ-
adverb

prattle

2 of 2

noun

1
: trifling or empty talk
2
: a sound that is meaningless, repetitive, and suggestive of the chatter of children

Examples of prattle in a Sentence

Verb They prattled on into the night, discussing school, music, and friends. spent an hour on the phone prattling on about nothing in particular Noun parents often claim to understand the prattle of their infant offspring
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
The result is an entirely incoherent crime thriller that features gangsters prattling on about the self and the ego and the soul and then occasionally wandering into an entirely different scene where other gangsters are prattling on about the same thing. Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 May 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
Noun
Trump prattles on about the economy while the actors freeze behind him in their ancient Galilee garb. Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025 She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths. Joshua Cohen, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for prattle

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Low German pratelen; akin to Middle Dutch praten to prate

First Known Use

Verb

1532, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prattle was in 1532

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prattle. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

prattle

verb
prat·​tle
ˈprat-ᵊl
prattled; prattling
-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
prattle noun
prattler
-lər
-ᵊl-ər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on prattle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!