blather
1 of 2verb
blath·er ˈbla-t͟hər 
blathered; blathering ˈbla-t͟h(ə-)riŋ
intransitive verb
: to talk foolishly at length —often used with on
blatherer
ˈbla-t͟hər-ər
noun blather
2 of 2noun
1
: voluble nonsensical or inconsequential talk or writing
2
: stir, commotion
Synonyms
Verb
- go on
- maunder
- ramble
- rattle
- run on
Noun
- ado
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- bustle
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- disturbance
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- stir
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun listening to a lot of blather from politicians about who's to blame for the bad economy wanted to retire quietly and without all the blather of an office send-off
Recent Examples on the Web
Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 21 May 2021 Jerome blathered with joy as Tiny walked slowly into her house. Rion Amilcar Scott, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2019 And when the deed was accomplished, it was considered bad form to blather indecorously about it to media. National Geographic, 24 May 2019 The people who live in Carbon Hill, and places like it, need attention for so many other reasons than a chuckleheaded mayor blathering nonsense, privately or publicly, about who needs to die in a second Civil War. al.com, 6 June 2019 In flashback, there was William the philanthropist, hosting fancy fundraisers and sighing as nasty rich people blathered on at him. The Atlantic, 17 June 2018 So why would announcers blather and babble throughout the performance? Norman Chad, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2018 And the phenomenon of people loudly blathering at concerts is endemic at venues large and small. George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, 15 Mar. 2018 Metcalf asked Shepard why her character said so little when her husband would blather on and on. Willa Paskin, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018 oregonlive, 7 Sep. 2022 Comedy people can’t go on talk shows and blather like actors. Mikey O'connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2022 Hollywood has long churned out dumb, brutal stories, one difference being that today filmmakers no longer need to rationalize carnage with moralizing or blather about heroic codes. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022 There was also a lot of blather about that season's philosophical earworms, from cancel culture to gender essentialism. Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 31 Mar. 2022 Given all the commercials, referee timeout checks and half-time blather, both genders really need a two-hour time limit for a 40-minute game. Bob Hill, The Courier-Journal, 7 Mar. 2022 Hear this week’s episode, plus all 12 entertaining interviews from last year (including me in full blather), at bit.ly/invite-podcast, or on most podcast platforms. Washington Post, 8 July 2021 Item: Being hushed by a fellow library patron while Steve continues to blather on, ad nauseam. Brooke Knisley, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2020 With Trump, that distance between talk-radio blather — which is designed to get people frothed up enough to keep listening — and presidential messaging — which was always designed to minimize drama — closed completely. Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, 31 Oct. 2020 See More
Verb
Isn’t this the same group of folks who love to blather on about the wonders of the free market system? Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 21 May 2021 Jerome blathered with joy as Tiny walked slowly into her house. Rion Amilcar Scott, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2019 And when the deed was accomplished, it was considered bad form to blather indecorously about it to media. National Geographic, 24 May 2019 The people who live in Carbon Hill, and places like it, need attention for so many other reasons than a chuckleheaded mayor blathering nonsense, privately or publicly, about who needs to die in a second Civil War. al.com, 6 June 2019 In flashback, there was William the philanthropist, hosting fancy fundraisers and sighing as nasty rich people blathered on at him. The Atlantic, 17 June 2018 So why would announcers blather and babble throughout the performance? Norman Chad, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Mar. 2018 And the phenomenon of people loudly blathering at concerts is endemic at venues large and small. George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, 15 Mar. 2018 Metcalf asked Shepard why her character said so little when her husband would blather on and on. Willa Paskin, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018 Noun
Last week’s episode saw still more of the seemingly endless resentment Diana feels toward Sutton, along with some blather about who blocked who on social media and on, and on, and for heaven’s sake, grow up, already. oregonlive, 7 Sep. 2022 Comedy people can’t go on talk shows and blather like actors. Mikey O'connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2022 Hollywood has long churned out dumb, brutal stories, one difference being that today filmmakers no longer need to rationalize carnage with moralizing or blather about heroic codes. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022 There was also a lot of blather about that season's philosophical earworms, from cancel culture to gender essentialism. Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 31 Mar. 2022 Given all the commercials, referee timeout checks and half-time blather, both genders really need a two-hour time limit for a 40-minute game. Bob Hill, The Courier-Journal, 7 Mar. 2022 Hear this week’s episode, plus all 12 entertaining interviews from last year (including me in full blather), at bit.ly/invite-podcast, or on most podcast platforms. Washington Post, 8 July 2021 Item: Being hushed by a fellow library patron while Steve continues to blather on, ad nauseam. Brooke Knisley, The New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2020 With Trump, that distance between talk-radio blather — which is designed to get people frothed up enough to keep listening — and presidential messaging — which was always designed to minimize drama — closed completely. Gilbert Garcia, ExpressNews.com, 31 Oct. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Old Norse blathra; akin to Middle High German blōdern to chatter
First Known Use
Verb
1524, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1
blather 1 of 2
noun
1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity wanted to retire quietly and without all the blather of an office send-off Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- commotion
- fuss
- stir
- disturbance
- hurry
- turmoil
- hoopla
- noise
- bluster
- racket
- clutter
- hullabaloo
- fun
- clatter
- storm
- foofaraw
- ballyhoo
- hoo-hah
- hubbub
- ado
- hurricane
- pandemonium
- row
- kerfuffle
- hoo-ha
- bother
- bustle
- pother
- squall
- stew
- furore
- flurry
- zoo
- roar
- tumult
- ruckus
- coil
- furor
- bobbery
- hurly-burly
- welter
- hurly
- rumpus
- uproar
- shindy
- ruction
- cacophony
- whirl
- corroboree
- hurry-skurry
- do
- helter-skelter
- splore
- to-do
- alarums and excursions
- din
- hubble-bubble
- clamor
- hurry-scurry
- moil
- howl
- upheaval
- williwaw
- outcry
- eruption
- disorder
- unrest
- outburst
- flutter
- fray
- brawl
- hue and cry
- scuffle
- lather
- dither
- fracas
- fret
- melee
- outbreak
- tizzy
- fever
- mêlée
- flare-up
- hassle
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rest
- peace
- hush
- quiet
- tranquility
- calm
- stillness
- tranquillity
- quietude
- order
- orderliness
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense dismissed the whole election as just so much blather Synonyms & Similar Words
- nonsense
- nuts
- garbage
- silliness
- blah
- rubbish
- stupidity
- drool
- blither
- twaddle
- claptrap
- folderol
- balderdash
- guff
- blatherskite
- baloney
- jazz
- drivel
- muck
- flapdoodle
- piffle
- bunk
- craziness
- malarkey
- tosh
- hogwash
- foolishness
- bunkum
- trash
- poppycock
- bilge
- hokum
- falderal
- hooey
- beans
- blah-blah
- insanity
- crapola
- blarney
- codswallop
- malarky
- crock
- trumpery
- humbuggery
- bull
- punk
- boloney
- fiddle
- horsefeathers
- tommyrot
- fudge
- rot
- madness
- fiddlesticks
- fiddle-faddle
- tarradiddle
- folly
- absurdity
- buncombe
- bosh
- humbug
- idiocy
- applesauce
- taradiddle
- inanity
- nerts
- hokeypokey
- flannel
- senselessness
- moonshine
- hoodoo
- absurdness
- tomfoolery
- greek
- slush
- foolery
- lunacy
- fatuity
- asininity
- gas
- rigmarole
- kookiness
- imbecility
- witlessness
- inaneness
- monkey business
- rigamarole
- hot air
- hoity-toity
- shenanigan(s)
- monkeyshine(s)
- double-talk
- hocus-pocus
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sensibleness
- rationality
- reasonableness
- sense
- reasonability
- wisdom
- levelheadedness
- horse sense
- judgment
- judgement
- discernment
- common sense
blather
2 of 2verb
as in to blabber
Synonyms & Similar Words
- blabber
- blither
- babble
- prattle
- patter
- prate
- drivel
- chatter
- troll
- gab
- yak
- yack
- bleat
- gabble
- jabber
- smatter
- sputter
- tittle-tattle
- gibber
- run on
- chat
- jaw
- mumble
- jangle
- mouth
- murmur
- chunter
- mutter
- rattle
- drool
- maunder
- bumble
- shout
- stutter
- stammer
- shriek
- screech
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- articulate
- pronounce
- enunciate