as in babble
unintelligible or meaningless talk
to me the baby's speech was simply jabber, but his mother claimed to know exactly what he was saying
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation
please do not jabber during the rabbi's sermon
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to chatter
to speak rapidly, inarticulately, and usually unintelligibly
monkeys jabbering at each other in their cages
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 jabber
Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 16 July 2024
Jacobs-Jenkins renders him as a wry, friendly figure who occasionally takes over the bodies of the other characters to explain what is happening beneath their jabber.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 June 2023
Incriminating truths are borne along in the ever-rolling stream of online jabber; how can one man’s toxic underpants, nearly two years old, stand a chance against the slapping of Chris Rock at the Oscars, still less against the waves of disinformation?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2022
That includes many of his new Florida State teammates who have discovered the defensive end’s propensity for jabber.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2022
Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti is getting in on the jibber jabber with some Michigan staffers in this clip.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 27 Nov. 2021
To paint like that required a meditative focus that was miles from my own internal jabber.
—Molly Crabapple, The New York Review of Books, 8 July 2021
An older Black man perpetually annoyed by Sterling and Blair's jabber — particularly about the ups and downs of their romances — Bowser only takes on the underage twins as his protégés because the premise of the show demands it.
—Inkoo Kang, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2020
But that’s just verbal jabber mixed with persuasion and cheerleading.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2020
Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
In our few minutes, Smoltz indulged a couple of jabbering old sports writers.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 17 Dec. 2024
Asking Eric: These women jabber about the trip I wasn’t invited on.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Flying on cocaine, he’s become a jabbering head case who proceeds to kill himself by bashing his face with a circular 35-pound workout weight.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Hello Kitty blanket while Gazal jabbered to a wild-haired imitation Barbie doll dressed as a bride.
—Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, being a conservative means jabbering about your philosophical views, however rickety, over a plate of overcooked chicken.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 14 July 2023
An investigation revealed that jabbering shore operators had hampered communications with the rescue ship.
—Ariel Bleicher, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2013
That was more than enough fodder to get soccer fans in the two cities jabbering back and forth − a good start toward achieving rivalry status considering the two organizations had never met on a field.
—The Enquirer, 24 Mar. 2023
Noun
Worse, such jabber crowds out essential coverage of genuine threats to democracy and the visions of the two parties.
—Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 16 July 2024
Jacobs-Jenkins renders him as a wry, friendly figure who occasionally takes over the bodies of the other characters to explain what is happening beneath their jabber.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 5 June 2023
Incriminating truths are borne along in the ever-rolling stream of online jabber; how can one man’s toxic underpants, nearly two years old, stand a chance against the slapping of Chris Rock at the Oscars, still less against the waves of disinformation?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2022
That includes many of his new Florida State teammates who have discovered the defensive end’s propensity for jabber.
—Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2022
Ohio State strength coach Mickey Marotti is getting in on the jibber jabber with some Michigan staffers in this clip.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 27 Nov. 2021
To paint like that required a meditative focus that was miles from my own internal jabber.
—Molly Crabapple, The New York Review of Books, 8 July 2021
An older Black man perpetually annoyed by Sterling and Blair's jabber — particularly about the ups and downs of their romances — Bowser only takes on the underage twins as his protégés because the premise of the show demands it.
—Inkoo Kang, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2020
But that’s just verbal jabber mixed with persuasion and cheerleading.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2020
Verb
Meanwhile, Trump cannot stop jabbering about serving a potential third term, a blatant violation of the Constitution’s cap on terms Presidents can serve these days.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
In our few minutes, Smoltz indulged a couple of jabbering old sports writers.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 17 Dec. 2024
Asking Eric: These women jabber about the trip I wasn’t invited on.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Flying on cocaine, he’s become a jabbering head case who proceeds to kill himself by bashing his face with a circular 35-pound workout weight.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
Hello Kitty blanket while Gazal jabbered to a wild-haired imitation Barbie doll dressed as a bride.
—Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2024
Sometimes, being a conservative means jabbering about your philosophical views, however rickety, over a plate of overcooked chicken.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 14 July 2023
An investigation revealed that jabbering shore operators had hampered communications with the rescue ship.
—Ariel Bleicher, IEEE Spectrum, 20 Mar. 2013
That was more than enough fodder to get soccer fans in the two cities jabbering back and forth − a good start toward achieving rivalry status considering the two organizations had never met on a field.
—The Enquirer, 24 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jabber
Verb
-
The couple went into his restaurant, Jinja Bar & Bistro, in the early 2000s, and ended up chatting with Lanham and the other owners, Lanham said.—
Nathan Solis,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Stopping on the red carpet to chat with E!, Saldaña praised the fashion duo for always putting creativity first.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Initially this seemed like a boon, and people chattered excitedly about how a notes call with Netflix execs would not leave you with myriad non-negotiable changes — for a time its appeal supplanted the Promised Land of HBO.—
Alex Levy,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Young people stand in between the gravestones, chattering, laughing and digging with shovels.—
Shira Li Bartov,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
She was getting winded on our walk, and her prattle was broken up by heavy breaths.—
Joshua Cohen,
The New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2024
-
The larcenous prattle is, in this sense, a typically Wiig-ian set piece: sunny, strained and flailing for dignity.—
Lili Loofbourow,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2024
Verb
-
In photos obtained by Page Six, Affleck and Garner appeared to be in good spirits — laughing and talking — while at a paintball park in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 2.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
4 Mar. 2025
-
But after talking with sources, a few quarterbacks turned heads during the combine.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
When medics arrived on the scene, in bodycam footage played during the trial, Cato was seen soaked in sweat and babbling about other children in the neighborhood, appearing to try to blame them.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Those harsh, swelling wails of warning become the film’s punctuating sonic motif — in stark contrast to the buoyant, babbling vocal interjections of Alexey Shmurak’s unexpected a cappella score, a literal chorus of humanity amid the chaos.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Known affectionately to friends and strangers alike as Ms. Pearl, folks come to converse with the beloved restaurant owner and sample her incredible Southern comfort cuisine.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2025
-
His neighbors told deputies that Campbell forced his way into the home as the group was conversing about the gospel.—
Louis Casiano,
Fox News,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
But when the disheveled, withdrawn ex-friend shows up in the locker room gibbering about an evil spirit, Sam is mortified, impulsively knocking to the ground the grungy-looking Mason jar that Tamira has been carrying around.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
18 Sep. 2023
-
For a while, police interest bent toward a Phud who had been warned he might be eliminated from the program, who had seemed almost exultant about the fire and gibbered gleefully about the media spotlight.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2018
Noun
-
First off, the bulk of the trailer is Shrek and company scrolling through fantasy TikTok courtesy of the magic mirror, which shows dancing Shrek, shirtless Shrek and other nonsense, apparently posted by Pinocchio.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Spouted a bunch of nonsense conspiracy theories about who’s getting Social Security benefits.—
Brian Barrett,
WIRED,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jabber.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jabber. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share