balbuciar

Senses

1. 1.

   to stammer, to stutter

   to speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions due to nervousness or difficulty

2. 2.

   to babble

   to speak in an inarticulate or incomprehensible way, especially as a baby learning to talk

3. 3.

   to mumble, to mutter

   to speak indistinctly or in a barely audible manner

Examples

• "Ele estava tão nervoso na entrevista que começou a balbuciar as respostas."

  He was so nervous in the interview that he started to stammer the answers.

• "O bebê balbucia suas primeiras palavras."

  The baby is babbling his first words.

• "Ela só conseguiu balbuciar um pedido de desculpas antes de sair correndo."

  She could only mumble an apology before running out.

Usage

Common in both formal and informal contexts. Often used to describe speech affected by strong emotions (nervousness, fear, embarrassment) or developmental stages (babies). Regular -iar verb conjugation.