talk
to communicate or exchange ideas, information, etc., by speaking: to talk about poetry.
to consult or confer: Talk with your adviser.
to spread a rumor or tell a confidence; gossip.
to chatter or prate.
to employ speech; perform the act of speaking: to talk very softly; to talk into a microphone.
to deliver a speech, lecture, etc.: The professor talked on the uses of comedy in the tragedies of Shakespeare.
to give or reveal confidential or incriminating information: After a long interrogation, the spy finally talked.
to communicate ideas by means other than speech, as by writing, signs, or signals.
Computers. to transmit data, as between computers or between a computer and a terminal.
to make sounds imitative or suggestive of speech.
to express in words; utter: to talk sense.
to use (a specified language or idiom) in speaking or conversing: They talk French together for practice.
to discuss: to talk politics.
Informal. (used only in progressive tenses) to focus on; signify or mean; talk about: This isn't a question of a few hundred dollars—we're talking serious money.
to bring, put, drive, influence, etc., by talk: to talk a person to sleep; to talk a person into doing something.
the act of talking; speech; conversation, especially of a familiar or informal kind.
an informal speech or lecture.
a conference or negotiating session: peace talks.
report or rumor; gossip: There is a lot of talk going around about her.
a subject or occasion of talking, especially of gossip: Your wild escapades are the talk of the neighborhood.
mere empty speech: That's just a lot of talk.
a way of talking: a halting, lisping talk.
language, dialect, or lingo.
signs or sounds imitative or suggestive of speech, as the noise made by loose parts in a mechanism.
talk around, to bring (someone) over to one's way of thinking; persuade: She sounded adamant over the phone, but I may still be able to talk her around.
talk at,
to talk to in a manner that indicates that a response is not expected or wanted.
to direct remarks meant for one person to another person present; speak indirectly to.
talk away, to spend or consume (time) in talking: We talked away the tedious hours in the hospital.
talk back, to reply to a command, request, etc., in a rude or disrespectful manner: Her father never allowed them to talk back.
talk down,
to overwhelm by force of argument or by loud and persistent talking; subdue by talking.
to speak disparagingly of; belittle.
Also talk in. to give instructions to by radio for a ground-controlled landing, especially to a pilot who is unable to make a conventional landing because of snow, fog, etc.
talk down to, to speak condescendingly to; patronize: Children dislike adults who talk down to them.
talk of, to debate as a possibility; discuss: The two companies have been talking of a merger.
talk out,
to talk until conversation is exhausted.
to attempt to reach a settlement or understanding by discussion: We arrived at a compromise by talking out the problem.
British Politics. to thwart the passage of (a bill, motion, etc.) by prolonging discussion until the session of Parliament adjourns.: Compare filibuster (def. 5).
talk over,
to weigh in conversation; consider; discuss.
to cause (someone) to change an opinion; convince by talking: He became an expert at talking people over to his views.
talk up,
to promote interest in; discuss enthusiastically.
to speak without hesitation; speak distinctly and openly: If you don't talk up now, you may not get another chance.
Idioms about talk
talk big, Informal. to speak boastingly; brag: He always talked big, but never amounted to anything.
talk someone's head / ear off, to bore or weary someone by excessive talk; talk incessantly: All I wanted was a chance to read my book, but my seatmate talked my ear off.
talk to death,
to impede or prevent the passage of (a bill) through filibustering.
to talk to incessantly or at great length.
Origin of talk
1synonym study For talk
Other words for talk
Other words from talk
- talk·a·ble, adjective
- talk·a·bil·i·ty, noun
- talker, noun
- in·ter·talk, verb (used without object)
- non·talk·er, noun
- o·ver·talk, verb
- un·der·talk, noun
- un·talk·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use talk in a sentence
For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion | Nina Strochlic | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“We talked about the science the whole time the other day,” Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking | M.L. Nestel | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI meant no harm by it, but I remembered how this person talked, and I did it for my Mom and she was not into it.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTIn being himself, he was also representing a community of people that talked how he talked and saw what he saw.
Remembering ESPN’s Sly, Cocky, and Cool Anchor Stuart Scott | Stereo Williams | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTHe talked about his love for his daughters, Taelor and Sydni, who were still very young at the time.
Remembering ESPN’s Sly, Cocky, and Cool Anchor Stuart Scott | Stereo Williams | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
As Felipe talked with him, he perceived even more clearly how bitter and unjust his mother had been to Alessandro.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonAfter dinner they met again outside the hotel, and drank coffee and talked the evening away.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeThe eyebrows were low and thick, the upper lip was sensitive, quivering sometimes as she talked, but the lower was firm and full.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonAnd Tony leaned over as he talked, bringing their lips within whispering distance.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodThen summoning a smart young jemadar with whom he had talked a good deal during the journey, he asked him to read the chit.
The Red Year | Louis Tracy
British Dictionary definitions for talk
/ (tɔːk) /
(intr; often foll by to or with) to express one's thoughts, feelings, or desires by means of words (to); speak (to)
(intr) to communicate or exchange thoughts by other means: lovers talk with their eyes
(intr usually foll by about) to exchange ideas, pleasantries, or opinions (about): to talk about the weather
(intr) to articulate words; verbalize: his baby can talk
(tr) to give voice to; utter: to talk rubbish
(tr) to hold a conversation about; discuss: to talk business
(intr) to reveal information: the prisoner talked after torture
(tr) to know how to communicate in (a language or idiom): he talks English
(intr) to spread rumours or gossip: we don't want the neighbours to talk
(intr) to make sounds suggestive of talking
(intr) to be effective or persuasive: money talks
now you're talking informal at last you're saying something agreeable
talk big to boast or brag
talk shop to speak about one's work, esp when meeting socially, sometimes with the effect of excluding those not similarly employed
talk the talk to speak convincingly on a particular subject, showing apparent mastery of its jargon and themes; often used in combination with the expression walk the walk: See also walk (def. 18b)
you can talk informal you don't have to worry about doing a particular thing yourself
you can't talk informal you yourself are guilty of offending in the very matter you are decrying
a speech or lecture: a talk on ancient Rome
an exchange of ideas or thoughts: a business talk with a colleague
idle chatter, gossip, or rumour: there has been a lot of talk about you two
a subject of conversation; theme: our talk was of war
(often plural) a conference, discussion, or negotiation: talks about a settlement
a specific manner of speaking: children's talk
Origin of talk
1- See also talk about, talk at, talk back, talk down, talk into, talk out, talk round, talk through, talk up
Derived forms of talk
- talkable, adjective
- talkability, noun
- talker, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with talk
In addition to the idioms beginning with talk
- talk around
- talk at
- talk back
- talk big
- talk dirty
- talk down
- talk down to
- talked out
- talk into
- talk of the town, the
- talk out
- talk out of
- talk over
- talk sense
- talk shop
- talk someone's arm off
- talk through one's hat
- talk to
- talk turkey
- talk up
also see:
- all talk
- dirty joke (talk dirty)
- double talk
- heart to heart (talk)
- look who's talking
- money talks
- now you're talking
- small talk
- straight talk
- sweet talk
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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