Definition

1. Verb:

   • To talk at length in a foolish, idle, or trivial manner; to chatter or babble about unimportant matters.
   • To speak rapidly and continuously without saying anything of substance.

2. Noun:

   • Idle, foolish, or trivial talk; chatter that lacks importance or relevance.

Examples

• Verb:
  • He would prate on about his golf game for hours if you let him.
  • The politician prated about vague promises without offering any concrete plans.
• Noun:
  • I grew tired of his endless prate and excused myself from the conversation.
  • The meeting was filled with nothing but corporate prate and buzzwords.

Advanced Usage

• "To prate away": To talk idly for a long period, often wasting time.
  • She prated away the entire afternoon instead of working.
• "To prate on/upon/about": To talk incessantly and tediously on a particular (usually trivial) subject.
  • He is always prating on about the "good old days."

Variants and Related Words

• Pratler (noun): A person who prates; a chatterer.
  • He was known as the office pratler.
• Prating (noun/adj): The act or an instance of prating; characterized by prating.
  • Her constant prating was a distraction.

Synonyms

• Verb: Babble, chatter, blather, gabble, jabber, ramble, rattle on.
• Noun: Blather, chatter, drivel, gabble, idle talk, twaddle.

Related Phrases

• Prate and prattle: Often used together to emphasize empty, continuous talk. (Note: 'Prattle' is a closely related word with a similar meaning, often implying more childish or inconsequential talk).
  • I have no patience for their prate and prattle.

Notes on Usage

• The word prate often carries a negative or dismissive connotation, implying that the speech is not worth listening to.
• It is a more formal or literary synonym for everyday words like or .

Noun

1. idle or foolish and irrelevant talk

Verb

1. speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly