verb / noun

prate

PRAYT/preɪt/

Foolish or tedious talk, or to speak in this way.

He prates about his importance while everyone else waits to speak.

An adult talking at length with animated gestures while a listener looks bored and glances at a wristwatch, ordinary setting with no text.

Etymology

Prate comes from, or is related to, Middle Dutch praten, “to chatter.” The connection is to inconsequential speech: talking idly or foolishly rather than saying something useful.

In context

Gustavus Adolphus College40:45

I decided never again to prate about the great achievements of science the deadly influenza de demonstrated the inferiority of human invention

Alfred Crosby - The History of Infectious Disease as a Characteristic of Civilization

More examples

They prated for hours without offering a single useful idea.
I have no patience for such empty prate.
Stop prating and tell us what actually happened.

Forms

prate · prates · prated · prating

Similar words

prattle: Emphasizes childish or trivial chatter, sometimes with an affectionate tone.
ramble: Emphasizes wandering between topics rather than foolish or empty content.