different between gibberish vs mumble

English

Etymology

ca. 16th century. Either an onomatopoeia, imitating to the sound of chatter, probably influenced by jabber, or derived from the root of the Irish gob (“the mouth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d??b.?.???/

Noun

gibberish (usually uncountable, plural gibberishes)

1. Speech or writing that is unintelligible, incoherent or meaningless.

   • Such gibberish as children may be heard amusing themselves with.
2. Needlessly obscure or overly technical language.
3. A language game, comparable to pig Latin, in which one inserts a nonsense syllable before the first vowel in each syllable of a word.

Synonyms

• gibber
• See also Thesaurus:nonsense

Translations

See also

• double Dutch
• framis
• gobbledygook, gobbledegook
• galimatias
• jargon
• mumbo jumbo
• nonsense
• rhubarb rhubarb

Adjective

gibberish (comparative more gibberish, superlative most gibberish)

1. unintelligible, incoherent or meaningless

References

English

Etymology

From Middle English momelen, a frequentative of mum (sense 3) (“silent”). Compare German mümmeln, Middle Dutch mommelen and Dutch mompelen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?mb?l/
• Rhymes: -?mb?l

Verb

mumble (third-person singular simple present mumbles, present participle mumbling, simple past and past participle mumbled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To speak unintelligibly or inaudibly; to fail to articulate.
   • 1680, Thomas Otway, The Orphan

     A wrinkled hag, with age grown double, / Picking dry sticks, and mumbling to herself.

2. To chew something gently with closed lips.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:mutter

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

mumble (plural mumbles)

1. A quiet or unintelligible vocalization; a low tone of voice.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• bummle