# jabber away

CEFR C1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jabber-away
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to talk quickly and for a long time, often about things that are not important or are hard to understand.

For teachers: to speak rapidly, incoherently, or incessantly; the particle 'away' functions as a continuative aspect marker indicating prolonged or enthusiastic action.

## Examples

- The two friends sat in the corner and jabbered away all afternoon.
- I couldn't understand a word they were saying as they jabbered away in a dialect I hadn't heard before.
- While the professor jabbered away about obscure historical dates, most of the students found their attention drifting toward the sunny courtyard outside.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He jabbered away the secret." but "He jabbered away about the secret." — this phrasal verb is intransitive; you cannot 'jabber away' an object, you must use a preposition like 'about'.

## Usage notes

- usually describes a person talking in an excited, fast, or slightly annoying way.
- Teaching tip: focus on the particle 'away' as a marker of continuous, energetic action, similar to 'work away' or 'chat away'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.