Prattle
/ˈprætəl/
verbnounB2
Definition
Prattle means to speak or say many words that are not very important or serious. When someone prattles, they often talk quickly and without stopping about small or silly things. As a noun, prattle is the act of this kind of talking or the words that are said.
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See It in Action
To talk a lot about unimportant or silly things (verb)
- •She prattled on about her new shoes for hours.
- •The children prattled happily while playing in the park.
- •He tends to prattle when he is nervous.
Silly or unimportant talk (noun)
- •I got tired of their constant prattle during the meeting.
- •The radio show was filled with meaningless prattle.
- •Please stop the prattle and get to the point.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "prattle" like "talk" (A1 word), but the kind of talk that is light, silly, and not important—more like chatting without a clear purpose
- ✓Picture a small child talking happily and quickly about toys or games, without stopping or thinking too much
- ✓It's the feeling when someone talks on and on about little things that don’t matter much, sometimes making you lose focus
- ✓Sounds like "prattle" → imagine a small bird (like a parrot) quickly repeating many sounds without meaning
- ✓In stories, prattle is like the chatter of busy people in a market or children playing, full of noise but little serious meaning
- ✓NOT like "lecture" (serious and important talk); prattle is light and often silly
- ✓NOT like "whisper" (quiet talk); prattle is usually loud or fast talking
- ✓NOT like "argument" (disagreement); prattle is just silly or empty talking without conflict
Try Other Words
- •Chatter: light and quick talking, often about small or unimportant things (Use when the talking is friendly and fast)
- •Babble: to talk quickly and without making much sense (Use when the talking sounds confused or childish)
- •Ramble: to talk for a long time in a way that is not clear or organized (Use when the talk is long and not easy to follow)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; "prattle" is a simple root word
- •Etymology: From Middle English, possibly from a word meaning "to talk foolishly," related to old words for childish or silly talk
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s to describe silly or meaningless talk, often from children or nervous people
- •Modern usage: Used to describe light, silly, or excessive talking, sometimes to show annoyance or humor
Reflect & Connect
•When is prattle helpful or fun, and when can it be annoying or distracting?
•How can you tell the difference between prattle and important conversation in daily life?
Fill in the blanks
1.She prattled ___ about her day, but nobody was really interested in the details.
2.The children’s prattle made the quiet room feel ___ and lively.
3.Unlike a serious speech, prattle is often ___ and full of small, silly ideas.
4.When nervous, people sometimes prattle to ___ their feelings or avoid silence.
5.The meeting was full of prattle, so the manager asked everyone to ___ down.
6.You can tell prattle apart from important talk because it usually lacks ___ or clear points.
7.Even though it was just prattle, the friendly chatter helped ___ the mood.