talk

[ tawk ]

verb (used without object)

1. to communicate or exchange ideas, information, etc., by speaking:

   to talk about poetry.

2. to consult or confer:

   Talk with your adviser.

3. to spread a rumor or tell a confidence; gossip.
4. to chatter or prate.

   Synonyms: prattle

5. to employ speech; perform the act of speaking:

   to talk very softly; to talk into a microphone.

6. to deliver a speech, lecture, etc.:

   The professor talked on the uses of comedy in the tragedies of Shakespeare.

7. to give or reveal confidential or incriminating information:

   After a long interrogation, the spy finally talked.

8. to communicate ideas by means other than speech, as by writing, signs, or signals.
9. Computers. to transmit data, as between computers or between a computer and a terminal.
10. to make sounds imitative or suggestive of speech.

verb (used with object)

1. to express in words; utter:

   to talk sense.

2. to use (a specified language or idiom) in speaking or conversing:

   They talk French together for practice.

3. to discuss:

   to talk politics.

4. 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.

5. to bring, put, drive, influence, etc., by talk:

   to talk a person to sleep; to talk a person into doing something.

noun

1. the act of talking; speech; conversation, especially of a familiar or informal kind.
2. an informal speech or lecture.

   Synonyms: confabulation, parley, dialogue, colloquy

3. a conference or negotiating session:

   peace talks.

4. report or rumor; gossip:

   There is a lot of talk going around about her.

5. a subject or occasion of talking, especially of gossip:

   Your wild escapades are the talk of the neighborhood.

   Synonyms: prattle

6. mere empty speech:

   That's just a lot of talk.

7. a way of talking:

   a halting, lisping talk.

8. language, dialect, or lingo.
9. signs or sounds imitative or suggestive of speech, as the noise made by loose parts in a mechanism.

verb phrase

1. 1. to weigh in conversation; consider; discuss.
   2. to cause (someone) to change an opinion; convince by talking:

      He became an expert at talking people over to his views.

2. 1. to promote interest in; discuss enthusiastically.
   2. to speak without hesitation; speak distinctly and openly:

      If you don't talk up now, you may not get another chance.

3. to reply to a command, request, etc., in a rude or disrespectful manner:

   Her father never allowed them to talk back.

4. 1. to overwhelm by force of argument or by loud and persistent talking; subdue by talking.
   2. to speak disparagingly of; belittle.
   3. 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.
5. 1. to talk until conversation is exhausted.
   2. to attempt to reach a settlement or understanding by discussion:

      We arrived at a compromise by talking out the problem.

   3. British Politics. to thwart the passage of (a bill, motion, etc.) by prolonging discussion until the session of Parliament adjourns. Compare filibuster ( def 5 ).
6. to speak condescendingly to; patronize:

   Children dislike adults who talk down to them.

7. 1. to talk to in a manner that indicates that a response is not expected or wanted.
   2. to direct remarks meant for one person to another person present; speak indirectly to.
8. to debate as a possibility; discuss:

   The two companies have been talking of a merger.

9. 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.

10. to spend or consume (time) in talking:

    We talked away the tedious hours in the hospital.

talk

/ tɔːk /

verb

1. intr; often foll by to or with to express one's thoughts, feelings, or desires by means of words (to); speak (to)
2. intr to communicate or exchange thoughts by other means

   lovers talk with their eyes

3. intrusually foll byabout to exchange ideas, pleasantries, or opinions (about)

   to talk about the weather

4. intr to articulate words; verbalize

   his baby can talk

5. tr to give voice to; utter

   to talk rubbish

6. tr to hold a conversation about; discuss

   to talk business

7. intr to reveal information

   the prisoner talked after torture

8. tr to know how to communicate in (a language or idiom)

   he talks English

9. intr to spread rumours or gossip

   we don't want the neighbours to talk

10. intr to make sounds suggestive of talking
11. intr to be effective or persuasive

    money talks

12. now you're talking informal.
    at last you're saying something agreeable
13. talk big
    to boast or brag
14. talk shop
    to speak about one's work, esp when meeting socially, sometimes with the effect of excluding those not similarly employed
15. 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
16. you can talk informal.
    you don't have to worry about doing a particular thing yourself
17. you can't talk informal.
    you yourself are guilty of offending in the very matter you are decrying

noun

1. a speech or lecture

   a talk on ancient Rome

2. an exchange of ideas or thoughts

   a business talk with a colleague

3. idle chatter, gossip, or rumour

   there has been a lot of talk about you two

4. a subject of conversation; theme

   our talk was of war

5. often plural a conference, discussion, or negotiation

   talks about a settlement

6. a specific manner of speaking

   children's talk

Derived Forms

• ˈtalker, noun
• ˈtalkable, adjective
• ˌtalkaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• talka·ble adjective
• talka·bili·ty noun
• talker noun
• inter·talk verb (used without object)
• non·talker noun
• over·talk verb
• under·talk noun
• un·talking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of talk¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of talk¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. talk big, Informal. to speak boastingly; brag:

   He always talked big, but never amounted to anything.

2. 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.

3. talk to death,
   1. to impede or prevent the passage of (a bill) through filibustering.
   2. to talk to incessantly or at great length.

More idioms and phrases containing talk

• 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

Synonym Study

See speak.

Example Sentences

He added that foreign leaders had contacted him “wanting to talk to President Trump.”

From Los Angeles Times

And we do need to talk about what makes for a good death.”

From BBC

Mr Bailey's Mansion House address will come alongside a speech by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who will talk about her plans to shake up the UK pension system in a bid for growth.

From BBC

"In my view, this kind of talk from the Minister in the Presidency is disgraceful and dangerous hate speech," one user said.

From BBC

She described her husband as being "quite a ranty person" and that at the time said she had thought it was just talk.

From BBC

Related Words

• argument
• conference
• consultation
• conversation
• deliberation
• dialogue
• interview
• meeting
• negotiation
• seminar
• symposium
• visit