Standard Lemma guide

blither

adj · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /blaɪðə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /blaɪðəɹ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈblɪðə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈblɪðəɹ/
  • rhymes with -ɪðə(ɹ)

1

adj

Meaning 1

comparative form of blithe: more blithe

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: comparative, form-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Foolish or nonsensical talk; blather; (countable) an instance of this.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, dialectal, informal, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A foolish person; a fool, an idiot.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, countable, dated, derogatory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: alcatote, asshat, arsehole, asshole, bayard, berk, birdbrain, blither, bobchin, bonehead, bozo, buffoon, brickhead, Charlie, chucklehead, chowderhead, chump, clart, clown, der-brain, dill pickle, dim bulb, dimwit, dingleberry, dipshit, dipstick, dirtbrain, div, divvo, divvy, dolt, donk, doodle, doofus, dope, dork, dote, dotterel, dullard, dumbass, dumbbell, dumbo, dumb fuck, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, dupe, fathead, fenderhead, fiddle, fuckwit, fuzznut, geck, gig, gink, goober, gooseberry, gowk, gubbins, gump, half-baked, ha'p'orth, Homer Simpson, ignoramus, imbecile, jamoke, jerk, jerkoff, jolterhead, jolthead, juggins, jughead, knucklehead, lamebrain, mameluke (US (Italian-American), slang), maroon, meathead, mong, moron, mug, muggins, mushhead, nimrod, nincompoop, nit, nitwit, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, numskull, numps, numpty, nupson, oaf, pillock, pinhead, plonker, prat, retard, shit for brains, shithead, shitwit, schmo, schmuck, smooth brain, snapperhead, softhead, sohai, sot, stupid, sucker, thickhead, tonto, tool, tosser, tosspot, tubelight, twat, twerp, twit, wally, wantwit, wazzock, yampy

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To talk foolishly; to blather.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, dialectal, informal, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blether

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

to talk foolishly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The two women babbled and crooned at the baby

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: babble, blather, smatter, blether

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chatter, piffle, palaver, prate, tittle-tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber, tattle, blabber, gabble

History

Etymology

From blithe + -er (suffix forming the comparative forms of adjectives).

The verb is a variant of blether (Northern England, Scotland), blather (“to say (something foolish or nonsensical); to say (something) in a foolish or overly verbose way; to babble (something); to talk rapidly without making much sense; to cry loudly, blubber”), from Middle English bloderen, blotheren (“to babble; to cry loudly, blubber”), from Old Norse blaðra (“to talk foolishly or inarticulately”), from blaðr (“nonsense”); further etymology uncertain. The noun is a variant of blether, blather (“foolish or nonsensical talk”), either from blether, blather (verb), or from Old Norse blaðr (“nonsense”): see above.