have a word with

Idioms

Speak with, discuss with, as in Jerry asked to have a word with you, or I must have a word with Bill about the repairs. This expression, from the late 1400s, was at one time used interchangeably with have words with, but it no longer is.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I'm like, "The seahorses would like to have a word with you about that."

From National Geographic • Feb. 16, 2024

Nicki Minaj needs to have a word with her fans who have ruthlessly defended her online for years: Chill.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2023

If you think chamber music only means musicians playing centuries-old polite melodies on a harpsichord, violinist Kristin Lee would like to have a word with you.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2023

"Keith was the one who asked to have a word with me and said to me, 'Hey, you know what? This doesn't count. It's pretend. This is all make-believe,'" Shields recounted.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2023

When she caught her breath, she said, “Elizabeth, may I have a word with you?”

From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023