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chatterbox

chatterbox

9 4.2
A person who talks a lot and often does not stop
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃætərˌbɑks/
  • Informal
translation icon : charlatán
  • That's why I'm such a chatterbox.
  • a little chatterbox
  • a real chatterbox
  • a regular chatterbox

Examples

  • Young man, nobody likes a chatterbox.

  • She's just a little chatterbox.

  • Before you left, she was a real little chatterbox.

  • But back then, I was quite the chatterbox.

  • - Boy, she was a chatterbox.

  • The little guy was very cute and a funny little chatterbox.

    Blog text (12)
  • Truth be told, I'm quite the little chatterbox myself.

  • All right, fine, I know I am a chatterbox; I'll do the talking for both of us," she laughed.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Remember, she didn't hold conversations at all, and by the end of fifth grade, she was a little chatterbox.

    Academic text (2012)
  • As a child, Jamie was known as a chatterbox who would never stop talking about her adventures.

Synonyms

talker
vschatterbox
69 2.1

A person who speaks a lot, often in public

is used for everyday frequent talking rather than public speaking
loudmouth
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
21 6.7

A person who talks too much, often loudly, and reveals private things

means frequent talking rather than loud or offensive speech
windbag
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
13 6.8

A person who talks a lot about unimportant things and bores other people

describes frequent talking without the judgement of being boring
blabbermouth
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
10 7.5

A person who talks too much and tells other people's secrets

refers to frequent talking without the revealing of secrets
witter
vschatterbox
  • UK
6 9.8

A person who talks for a long time about unimportant things in a boring way

refers to frequent talking that is not always long or tiresome
gasbag
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
4 7.9

A person who talks a lot about unimportant things

is about frequent talking without stressing boring topics
motormouth
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
3 8.4

A person who talks quickly and too much, annoying others

describes frequent talking without implying very fast speech
magpie
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
2 8.9

A person who talks too much in a silly or annoying way

is about frequent talking without the strong foolish tone
prater
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
1 9.8

A person who talks a lot in a boring or annoying way

means frequent talking rather than long, boastful speeches
flibbertigibbet
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person, often a woman, who talks a lot and cannot pay attention

means frequent talking without the flighty personality or gender note
yapper
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
1 7.9

A person who talks a lot in a loud, annoying way

focuses on frequent talking not specifically loudness or annoyance
chatterer
vschatterbox
  • Informal
1 5.5

A person who talks a lot and often annoys others

focuses more on constant or nonstop talking rather than topic
babbler
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
1 8.2

A person who talks too much in an annoying way

emphasizes frequent talking rather than foolishness or nonsense
yabber
vschatterbox
  • Australian
1 9.9

A person who talks a lot about small, unimportant things

means frequent talking across topics not only informal speech
yakker
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
1 8.2

A person who talks a lot about unimportant things

focuses on nonstop talking rather than the triviality of topics
chattery kid
vschatterbox
  • Informal
4.6

A child who talks a lot and is often noisy

is used for people in general rather than only children
prattler
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
9.5

A person who talks a lot in a silly, not important way

covers frequent talking not limited to childish tone
jabberer
vschatterbox
  • Informal
8.0

A person who talks quickly about unimportant things

focuses on excessive talking rather than rapid unclear speech
total windbag
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
7.7

A person who talks too much about small things and bores others

refers to frequent talking not necessarily causing boredom
blatherer
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
7.4

A person who talks a lot and says silly or meaningless things

means frequent talking rather than focus on silliness or nonsense
spouter
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
8.1

A person who talks loudly and foolishly to get attention

refers to frequent talking not tied to showy or obnoxious style
talk jockey
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
9.1

A person who speaks too much and stops other people from speaking

is about frequent talking not specifically about dominating others
talkee
vschatterbox
  • Slang
9.9

A person who talks a lot, often in a funny way

refers to frequent talking without the humorous or dialect tone
bean mouth
vschatterbox
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who talks too much and tells other people's secrets

means frequent talking not necessarily focused on gossip

How Talkative

blabbermouth
  • Offensive
10 7.5
chatterbox
  • Informal
9 4.2
talker
69 2.1
quiet one
4 5.3

Surface Forms

chatterbox singular
chatterboxes plural

Morphology

chatterbox = chatter + box (semi-transparent) = chatter + box

The components 'chatter' and 'box' are clear, but 'box' is used metaphorically to mean a person, so the compound's specific sense is somewhat metaphorical rather than strictly compositional.

Etymology

Chatterbox comes from chatter, which means 'quick, repeated talk' like birds, and box, which means 'a container'. So imagine a 'box' full of talk, and you have someone who talks a lot.