talking head
Americannoun
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Television Slang. a closeup picture of a person who is talking, especially as a participant in a talk show.
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Slang. a person whose talk is empty and pretentious.
noun
Etymology
Origin of talking head
First recorded in 1965–70
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.
The film, directed by Douglas Tirola, is assembled from various archival materials; the only talking head belongs to Bernstein himself.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
A panel show called The Hill on NewsNation launched in 2023, featuring Maska as a regular talking head.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
Instead, upper management sent a talking head who gave a two-hour motivational speech outlining the seven new corporate principles that the company’s executives cooked up during their recent weeklong “retreat” in Aruba.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2025
“I don’t know what that comes in the form of. A talking head for the conference itself?”
From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024
“At best we’re saying we don’t know,” says the talking head.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
