filler word
filler word noun: a word used to fill space in conversation, especially when one is thinking or is uncertain.
Noun
filler word (plural filler words)
- A word used to fill space in conversation, especially when one is thinking or is uncertain.
- One of the most frequent words we hear is the one we attach to nerves. This word is often described as a 'filler word'. For example, when we are asked to do something that makes us a little nervous […] all of a sudden, we notice we fill any pause or nervous point with our 'filler word'. For many...2021, Amy Jacobson, chapter 8, in Emotional Intelligence, page 92
- Instead, the speaker tries to fill the silence with unintelligible guttural sounds or meaningless words. Such noises are called filler words or vocalized pauses.2020, Blake J. Neff, chapter 8, in Proclamation!, page 129
- Synonyms:
- filled pause
Examples of filler word in a sentence
- This word is often described as a 'filler word'.2021, Amy Jacobson, chapter 8, in Emotional Intelligence, page 92:
- i love how your filler word isnt “like” or “um” its just “meow”2023 December 20, @hazumiaileen, Twitter:
- Also known as discourse markers, filler words are what we use when we don’t know what else to say.2022 September 15, Matt Ellis, Grammarly Blog:
Synonyms of filler word
Forms of filler word
| plural | filler words |
|---|
Questions about filler word
- What does filler word mean?
- Filler word means a word used to fill space in conversation, especially when one is thinking or is uncertain.
- How do you use filler word in a sentence?
- This word is often described as a 'filler word'.
- What part of speech is filler word?
- Filler word is a noun.
- What is the plural of filler word?
- The plural of filler word is filler words.
Words near filler word in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: filler word (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “filler word.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/filler_word. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.