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to gibber

to gibber

5 8.6
To make quick unclear sounds when you are nervous or excited
  • verb
  • /ˈɡɪbər/
translation icon : balbucear
  • When the children spotted the snake, they began gibbering in excitement and fear.

All the dead have sunk down into the inner darkness under the Rhine, all witless, all twittering, gibbering, decaying boogeyman.

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Examples

  • After the unexpected news, she started gibbering nervously, making it hard to understand her.

  • The seagulls follow us from the port at Caen, wheeling and gibbering, their elegant, black-tipped span of wings rising on each skirl of wind.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I'm going to find a corner to gibber in until the future stops.

    Blog text (16)
  • What are you gibbering about?

  • "He was gibbering with fear and crying, I think.

  • When you stop gibbering, we're going to Vera's.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Despite being a gibbering idiot, you fought honorably.

  • You'll be gibbering down the driveway within the week.

  • When I looked over in the morning, there was one rebel SAT up praying at the top of his lungs, and others were gibbering in insanity.

  • The trio in the geri chairs would start gibbering away, like a Greek chorus, like sibyls, speaking in tongues.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

to mumble
vsto gibber
103 4.9

To speak in a low, unclear voice that is hard to understand

differs by being loud and hurried rather than quiet and muffled
to chatter
vsto gibber
86 2.7

To talk quickly and without stopping about unimportant things

is more about rapid, jumbled sounds that reflect nervous excitement
to babble
vsto gibber
75 4.4

Talk quickly in a silly way that is hard to understand

is similar but stresses urgent, unintelligible noise from excitement or nerves
to jabber
vsto gibber
  • Informal
8 6.5

To talk quickly and excitedly in a way that is hard to understand

leans more on nervous haste making sounds less clear
to blabber
vsto gibber
  • Informal
6 7.8

To talk too much and tell secrets carelessly

differs by being unintelligible due to rapid nervous or excited sounds
to splutter
vsto gibber
4 7.5

To speak in short, broken sounds when angry or shocked

focuses more on continuous rapid unintelligible speech from nervousness
to clack
vsto gibber
  • Archaic
3 8.4

To talk quickly about small, unimportant things

focuses instead on hurried, unclear sounds caused by nerves or excitement
to gabble
vsto gibber
1 7.9

To talk quickly and unclearly so others cannot understand you

is similar but emphasizes nervous or excited unintelligibility rather than topic triviality
to jibber
vsto gibber
1 9.9

To speak very fast so others cannot understand

has identical meaning and differs only as a spelling variant
to bibble
vsto gibber
  • Archaic
9.9

To speak quickly in a confused or silly way

is more about frantic, unclear sounds caused by nervousness
to yabber
vsto gibber
  • Australian
9.9

To talk quickly and without stopping about unimportant things

is similar but stresses unintelligible rapid speech from emotional arousal
to twaddle
vsto gibber
  • Archaic
9.0

To talk for a long time about unimportant things in a silly way

differs by producing mostly unintelligible rapid sounds from nervousness
to tittle-tattle
vsto gibber
  • Archaic
9.1

Talk in a light, silly way about other people

is driven by urgent, confused speech rather than social gossip
to maunder
vsto gibber
  • UK
9.9

To talk in a slow, unclear way about unimportant things

is more sudden and emotionally charged, causing rapid unintelligible speech

Antonyms

85 4.4

To say or write your ideas clearly so others understand

Say words so other people can easily understand you

How Clear

to articulate
85 4.4
to speak
1.0
to mumble
103 4.9
to babble
75 4.4
to gibber
5 8.6

Surface Forms

gibber infinitive
gibbered past
gibbered past participle
gibbering present participle
gibbers third person singular

Etymology

The word gibber probably comes from an old sound people used to copy for quick, meaningless talking, and it is like the words jabber and gibberish, which mean 'to chatter' and 'nonsense' respectively. So, to gibber is to make fast, confused sounds that are hard to understand.