"filler word" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "filler words",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "filler word (plural filler words)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2021, Amy Jacobson, chapter 8, in Emotional Intelligence, page 92",
          "text": "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 people it is 'umm'; however, this differs with each person.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020, Blake J. Neff, chapter 8, in Proclamation!, page 129",
          "text": "Instead, the speaker tries to fill the silence with unintelligible guttural sounds or meaningless words. Such noises are called filler words or vocalized pauses.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 December 20, @hazumiaileen, Twitter",
          "text": "i love how your filler word isnt “like” or “um” its just “meow”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 September 15, Matt Ellis, Grammarly Blog",
          "text": "Also known as discourse markers, filler words are what we use when we don’t know what else to say. More often than not, they’re unintentional; we use them subconsciously to fill the space or time while we prepare our main message.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A word used to fill space in conversation, especially when one is thinking or is uncertain."
      ],
      "id": "en-filler_word-en-noun-05GcYV9o",
      "links": [
        [
          "space",
          "space"
        ],
        [
          "conversation",
          "conversation"
        ],
        [
          "think",
          "think"
        ],
        [
          "uncertain",
          "uncertain"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "filled pause"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "filler word"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "filler words",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "filler word (plural filler words)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2021, Amy Jacobson, chapter 8, in Emotional Intelligence, page 92",
          "text": "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 people it is 'umm'; however, this differs with each person.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020, Blake J. Neff, chapter 8, in Proclamation!, page 129",
          "text": "Instead, the speaker tries to fill the silence with unintelligible guttural sounds or meaningless words. Such noises are called filler words or vocalized pauses.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 December 20, @hazumiaileen, Twitter",
          "text": "i love how your filler word isnt “like” or “um” its just “meow”",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 September 15, Matt Ellis, Grammarly Blog",
          "text": "Also known as discourse markers, filler words are what we use when we don’t know what else to say. More often than not, they’re unintentional; we use them subconsciously to fill the space or time while we prepare our main message.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A word used to fill space in conversation, especially when one is thinking or is uncertain."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "space",
          "space"
        ],
        [
          "conversation",
          "conversation"
        ],
        [
          "think",
          "think"
        ],
        [
          "uncertain",
          "uncertain"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "filled pause"
    }
  ],
  "word": "filler word"
}