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

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

“They talk down to them. They assume that because they’re young, they’re dumb.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2023

Callender, who won the 2020 National Book Award for “King and the Dragonflies,” refuses to talk down to their audience.

From New York Times • Sep. 16, 2022

Don’t be clinical, don’t try to force her into anything, don’t talk down to her, she hates that.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• deign
• snub