talk

[ tawk ]

/ tɔk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: talk / talked / talking / talker on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

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.

verb (used with object)

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.

noun

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.

Verb Phrases

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR talk

4, 20 prattle.

34 discourse.

17 colloquy, dialogue, parley, confabulation.

See synonyms for talk on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English talk(i)en “to converse, speak,” derivative (with -k suffix) of tale “speech, discourse,” tale; cognate with Frisian (eastern dialect) talken

synonym study for talk

1. See speak.

OTHER WORDS FROM talk

talk·a·ble, adjectivetalk·a·bil·i·ty, nountalker, nounin·ter·talk, verb (used without object)

non·talk·er, nouno·ver·talk, verbun·der·talk, nounun·talk·ing, adjective

Words nearby talk

talion, taliped, talipes, talipot, talisman, talk, talk about, talk around, talk at, talkathon, talkative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT TALK

What is a basic definition of talk?

Talk means to use speech in order to communicate or exchange ideas. Talk also means to gossip. As a noun talk refers to a conversation. Talk has many other senses as both a verb and a noun.

When you talk, you use spoken language to communicate rather than gestures or written words. People talk to each other every day when they have chats, tell jokes, argue, or negotiate.

Real-life examples: You talked to someone today if you spoke to them about something. It is common for people to talk to each other over the phone or by using live video. People often get lonely when they have no one to talk to.
Used in a sentence: When Juan talked to his parents about his grades, he felt better.

Talk can also mean to spread rumors or gossip. When you talk about someone, you are not talking to them but to other people.

Used in a sentence: The mysterious new building on the edge of town got people talking about what it would be used for.

Talk used in this same sense as a noun means gossip or rumors.

Used in a sentence: There’s talk around the studio that the director is working on a secret movie project.

Talk is also used as a noun to mean a conversation or a discussion.

Used in a sentence: I had a serious talk with my daughter about sneaking animals into the house.

Where does talk come from?

The first records of talk come from around 1175. It comes from the Middle English verb talkien. It is related to the Old English talu, meaning “tale.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to talk?

talkable (adjective)
talkability (noun)
talker (noun)
intertalk (verb)
nontalker (noun)
overtalk (verb)

What are some synonyms for talk?

What are some words that share a root or word element with talk?

What are some words that often get used in discussing talk?

How is talk used in real life?

Talk is a very common word that most often means to communicate using speech.

As I turn 43 my only regret is not having children sooner. Nearly every man I talk to says the same. “Wish I had one more, and started sooner.”

— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) November 17, 2020

I know there's a lot of talk going around but, no, I won't be joining the Spice Girls reunion tour

— David Lazarus (@Davidlaz) November 5, 2018

I had a talk with my Dad and realized age really does help in knowing what to do in certain situations.

— CLG Void (@gsmVoiD) January 20, 2016

Try using talk!

Is talk used correctly in the following sentence?

He decided to talk to his wife about buying a dog, and they discussed it for a long time.

How to use talk in a sentence

It is encouraging to see many American companies, large and small, speak out about issues of racial inequity, though not all have backed up their talk with action.
To fight systemic racism, the investment industry needs to look at its whiteness first|jakemeth|September 10, 2020|Fortune
Prime Minister Boris Johnson signaled he would let the talks collapse if a deal isn’t made before mid-October rather than compromise.
Lagging stocks, a battered pound: investors get a painful glimpse of ‘no-deal Brexit’ Britain|Bernhard Warner|September 9, 2020|Fortune
The first wave of responses was to move to online events, virtual summits and a variety of webinars, but there’s also the question of informal talks and sales meetings that need to be rethought in order to maintain the quality of interaction.
How would an SEO agency be built today? Part 1: Consumers and trends|Sponsored Content: SEOmonitor|September 4, 2020|Search Engine Land
“We had the talk,” said Laurel Rossi, chief partnerships officer at Organic.
‘Safe and healthy’: As in person meetings resume, business execs are having the coronavirus ‘talk’|Kristina Monllos|September 4, 2020|Digiday

Virtual events are the talk of marketing departments these days.
How are you feeling about attending in-person events in 2021? Answer our short survey|Henry Powderly|September 4, 2020|Search Engine Land
What celebrity has started to talk about his or her eating disorder?
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Hopefully not overly close, but we talk about it in the episode how similar it is.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS|Marlow Stern|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Earlier this week, Huckabee ended his Fox News talk show so he could spend time mulling another bid for the Republican nomination.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Those who come to the Dinner Party are self-selecting; they do want to talk about it.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone|Samantha Levine|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Surely all this graphic talk of gastrointestinal distress is making you queasy.
Why My Norovirus Panic Makes Me Sick|Lizzie Crocker|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And is this a mere fantastic talk, or is this a thing that could be done and that ought to be done?
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Our talk ranged from the Panhandle to the Canada line, while our horses jogged steadily southward.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Above all, he was amazed to hear me talk of a mercenary standing army in the midst of peace and among a free people.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
To talk German was beyond the sweep of my dizziest ambition, but an Italian runner or porter instantly presented himself.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
He can't talk much, though; 'tain't good fur him; his lungs is out er kilter.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for talk

talk

/ (tɔːk) /

verb

(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 meanslovers 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; verbalizehis baby can talk

(tr) to give voice to; utterto talk rubbish

(tr) to hold a conversation about; discussto talk business

(intr) to reveal informationthe prisoner talked after torture

(tr) to know how to communicate in (a language or idiom)he talks English

(intr) to spread rumours or gossipwe don't want the neighbours to talk

(intr) to make sounds suggestive of talking

(intr) to be effective or persuasivemoney 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 walkSee 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

noun

a speech or lecturea talk on ancient Rome

an exchange of ideas or thoughtsa business talk with a colleague

idle chatter, gossip, or rumourthere has been a lot of talk about you two

a subject of conversation; themeour talk was of war

(often plural) a conference, discussion, or negotiationtalks about a settlement

a specific manner of speakingchildren's talk

Derived forms of talk

talkable, adjectivetalkability, nountalker, noun

Word Origin for talk

C13 talkien to talk; related to Old English talu tale, Frisian talken to talk

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

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

talk

OTHER WORDS FOR talk

Idioms about talk

Origin of talk

synonym study for talk

OTHER WORDS FROM talk

Words nearby talk

MORE ABOUT TALK

What is a basic definition of talk?

Where does talk come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is talk used in real life?

Try using talk!

Words related to talk

How to use talk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for talk

Derived forms of talk

Word Origin for talk

Other Idioms and Phrases with talk