talk down to

Idioms  

1. Also, speak down to. Address someone with insulting condescension, patronize, as in Just because she's editor-in-chief doesn't give her the right to talk down to her staff, or Children hate teachers who speak down to them.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

talk down to

And while there is goofy comedy involving the often clueless sheep, Mazin didn’t want to talk down to the kids watching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

What I am saying is that, if you have never found yourself in a situation where your life does a complete 180, it’s wrong to talk down to anyone.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 23, 2025

But true friends don’t talk down to you and tell you that you’re lazy after you spent years living off of canned beans trying to make payroll—they rejoice in your success.

From Slate ● Dec. 15, 2023

Stine’s popular books are aimed toward a tween audience, although, as Shetty points out, part of their draw is that they don’t pander or talk down to kids.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2023

“You may call me Tandy. You may call me Ms. Angel. But please don’t ever talk down to me again.”

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson

Related Words

• deign
• snub