VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

babel

noun, proper noun·Advancedliterary

Last updated

UK/ˈbeɪbl/
US/ˈbeɪbl/

Meanings

  1. nounsingularliterary

    A confused mixture of voices or languages, producing a loud noise that is hard to understand.

    Grammar: Usually singular with a: a babel of voices.

    Patterns

    • a babel of voices
    • a babel of languages

    A babel of languages filled the busy market.

    He could not hear her above the babel of the crowd.

    The airport was a babel of announcements and conversations.

  2. proper nounproperreligion

    In the Bible, the city where people building a great tower were made to speak many different languages.

    Grammar: Written with a capital letter, often in the phrase the Tower of Babel.

    Patterns

    • the Tower of Babel

    The story of the Tower of Babel explains why people speak different languages.

    Babel was supposedly where human language became divided.

    The artist painted the unfinished tower of Babel.

Common combinations

a babel of voices
A babel of voices rose from the stadium.
a babel of tongues
The old harbor was a babel of tongues.
a babel of languages
Visitors heard a babel of languages in the hall.
the Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel is a famous Bible story.
babel of noise
The babel of noise made conversation impossible.

Synonyms and how they differ

cacophony
Cacophony means harsh, clashing sound of any kind, while babel is specifically a jumble of voices or languages.
hubbub
Hubbub is a lively noise of many people and is less literary than babel.
din
Din is any loud, unpleasant noise, not necessarily voices.
clamor
Clamor suggests people loudly demanding something, whereas babel suggests confusion.

Opposites

silencehush

Word family

Babylon proper noun
the ancient city linked to the Bible story
babble verb
talk quickly in a way that is hard to understand
babbling noun
fast, confused talk

Commonly confused: babel or babble?

babel vs babble

Babble is the verb or noun for rapid, unclear talk, while babel is a loud mix of many voices and languages.

Practice

In the busy market there was a ____ of languages, and no one could follow a single conversation.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “babel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words