waffle[verb]Synonyms:- prattle, blather, jabber, prate, rabbit (on)
(Brit. informal), witter on
(informal)[noun]Synonyms:- verbosity, padding, prolixity, verbiage, wordiness
English Thesaurus: talk, speak, go on/drone on/ramble, waffle, prattle on, ... [TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
I. waf‧fle1 /ˈwɒf
əl $ ˈwɑː-/
noun[
Date: 1700-1800;
Language: Dutch;
Origin: wafel]
1. [countable] a flat cake, marked with a pattern of deep squares
2. [uncountable] British English informal talk or writing that uses a lot of words but says nothing important
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
II. waffle2 verb [intransitive] informal[
Date: 1600-1700;
Origin: woff 'to bark' (17-19 centuries), from the sound]
1. British English (
also waffle on) to talk or write using a lot of words but without saying anything important:
Stop waffling and get to the point.2. American English informal to be unable to decide what action to take:
He cannot continue to waffle on this issue. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
talk to use words to communicate with someone about something:
I need to talk to you about your work. She always enjoyed talking to Jim. Can we talk?speak to talk.
Speak is a little more formal than
talk. You often use it when saying that someone
speaks in a particular way, or that you will
speak to someone in order to try to get something done. You only use
speak when saying that someone
speaks a language:
He spoke with confidence and authority. She was speaking quietly so she didn’t disturb anyone. I’d like to speak to the manager. Do you speak German?go on/drone on/ramble to talk too much or for too long about something, in a way that makes people bored:
He went on about how great the team was. I’d better stop rambling and let you get on with your work.waffle /ˈwɒf
əl $ ˈwɑː-/
British English disapproving informal to talk using a lot of words but without saying anything important:
I wish he would stop waffling and get to the point!prattle on disapproving informal to talk continuously about silly and unimportant things:
She prattled on about her boyfriend for the entire journey. What’s he prattling on about now?have a conversation to talk to someone for a long time about everyday things:
She was having a conversation with one of her friends. When I arrived, Joe and Jane were deep in conversation (=very involved in a conversation). I can order food in a restaurant in French, but not have a conversation.chat/have a chat informal to have a friendly informal conversation about things that are not very important:
The girls were chatting outside the house. It’s been nice having a chat with you.gossip to talk about other people’s private lives when they are not there, especially about things that you have heard, which are not completely true:
What are you two gossiping about?visit with somebody American English informal to have a conversation with someone:
I visited with him last week.converse formal to have a conversation with someone:
We met once and conversed briefly.discuss to talk seriously about problems, ideas, or plans:
They met to discuss how the building should be designed. She refuses to discuss the matter.talk something over to discuss something with someone because it will affect them, especially someone close to you:
Before you accept the job, talk it over with your family. You two need to sit down and talk things over.debate to discuss a subject formally when you are trying to make a decision or solve a problem:
The issue will be debated on Tuesday. The UN Security Council debated whether to impose sanctions.have a talk I must have a talk with Frank before I leave.a long talk I had a long talk with Nora this morning.a little talk I’m glad we’ve had this little talk.a serious talk Before she went to college, her father sat her down for a serious talk.a quiet/private talk She asked if she could have a private talk.a good talk (=a long talk about important or interesting things) She was upset, but we’ve had a good talk and things are okay now.a nice talk We all had lunch together and a nice talk.have/hold talks He called on the rebels to hold talks with the government.enter into talks (=start having talks) The Ambassador stated that France was prepared to enter into talks on the issue.talks begin Talks began in October and Venezuela said it expects an agreement to be signed soon.talks continue/are underway Talks will continue through the weekend.talks break down/collapse (=stop because of disagreement) Talks broke down today between the Russian and Japanese delegations.talks resume/are resumed Talks resumed in Geneva on April 19 after a month’s break.talks end The talks ended without a settlement being reached.peace talks All four Arab delegations walked out of the Middle East peace talks yesterday.trade talks Trade talks between the EU and the Americans have once again collapsed.high-level talks (=involving important people) The announcement came after a morning of high-level talks.budget talks The dollar fell as U.S. budget talks appeared unlikely to produce an agreement.direct talks The President declared that he was now prepared to enter into direct talks with the rebels.bilateral talks (=involving two groups or countries) Bilateral talks led to the resumption of diplomatic relations.round-table talks (=when everyone can discuss things in an equal way) An election law, agreed during round-table talks, gave every voter the right to two votes.urgent talks The Prime Minister called ministers together for urgent talks.crisis talks (=talks to stop a situation getting worse or more dangerous) The unions will hold crisis talks with the company in a bid to save jobs.a round of talks (=a series of talks that is part of a longer process) A third round of talks was held in May.the breakdown/collapse of talks The collapse of the talks sent shock waves round the world. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲