| talk (tôk) v. talked, talk·ing, talks v.tr.1. To articulate (words): The baby is talking sentences now. 2. To give expression to in words: talk treason. 3. To speak of or discuss (something): talk music; talk business; 4. To speak or know how to speak in (an idiom or language): talked French with the flight crew. 5. To gain, influence, or bring into a specified state by talking: talked me into coming; talked their way out of trouble. 6. To spend (a period of time) by or as if by talking: talked the evening away. v.intr.1. To converse by means of spoken language: We talked for hours. See Synonyms at speak. 2. To articulate words: The baby can talk. 3. To imitate the sounds of human speech: The parrot talks. 4. To express one's thoughts or emotions by means of spoken language: talked about the pros and cons of the issue. 5. To convey one's thoughts in a way other than by spoken words: talk with one's hands. 6. To express one's thoughts in writing: Voltaire talks about London in this book. 7. To parley or negotiate with someone: Let's talk before continuing to fight. 8. To spread rumors; gossip: If you do that, people will talk. 9. To allude to something: Are you talking about last week? 10. To consult or confer with someone: I talked with the doctor. 11. To reveal information concerning oneself or others, especially under pressure: Has the prisoner talked? 12. Informal To be efficacious: Money talks. n.1. An exchange of ideas or opinions; a conversation. 2. A speech or lecture. 3. Hearsay, rumor, or speculation: There is talk of bankruptcy. 4. A subject of conversation: a musical that is the talk of the town. 5. A conference or negotiation. Often used in the plural: peace talks. 6. Jargon; slang: prison talk. 7. Empty speech or unnecessary discussion: much talk and no action. 8. A particular manner of speech: baby talk; honeyed talk. 9. Something, such as the sounds of animals, felt to resemble human talk: whale talk. Phrasal Verbs: talk around1. To persuade: I talked them around to my point of view. 2. To speak indirectly about: talked around the subject but never got to the point. talk at To address orally with no regard for or interest in a reaction or response. talk back1. To make an impertinent or insolent reply. 2. To make a belligerent response: heavy guns talking back. talk down1. To depreciate: talked down the importance of the move. 2. To speak with insulting condescension: talked down to her subordinates. 3. To silence (a person), especially by speaking in a loud and domineering manner. 4. To direct and control (the flight of an aircraft during an approach for landing) by radioed instructions either from the ground or a nearby aircraft. talk out1. To discuss (a matter) exhaustively: I talked out the problem with a therapist. 2. To resolve or settle by discussion. 3. Chiefly British To block (proposed legislation) by filibustering. talk over1. To consider thoroughly in conversation; discuss: talked the matter over. 2. To win (someone) over by persuasion: talked them over to our side. talk up1. To speak in favor of; promote: talked the candidate up; talked up the new product. 2. To speak up in a frank, often insolent manner. Idioms: talk big Informal To brag. talk sense To speak rationally and coherently.
[Middle English talken; see del-2 in Indo-European roots.] |
talk Verb 1. to express one's thoughts or feelings by means of spoken words 2. to exchange ideas or opinions about something: they were talking about where they would go on holiday 3. to give voice to; utter: he was talking rubbish 4. to discuss: the political leaders were talking peace 5. to reveal information: she was ready to talk 6. to be able to speak (a language or style) in conversation: the ferry was full of people talking French 7. to spread rumours or gossip 8. to be effective or persuasive: money talks 9. to get into a particular condition or state of mind by talking: I had talked myself hoarse 10. now you're talking Informal at last you're saying something agreeable 11. you can or can't talk Informal you are in no position to comment or criticize Noun 1. a speech or lecture: a talk on local government reform 2. an exchange of ideas or thoughts: we had a talk about our holiday plans 3. idle chatter, gossip, or rumour 4. (often pl) a conference, discussion, or negotiation talker n
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | talk - an exchange of ideas via conversation; "let's have more work and less talk around here"conversation - the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc. heart-to-heart - an intimate talk in private; "he took me aside for a little heart-to-heart" shmooze - (Yiddish) a warm heart-to-heart talk shop talk - talk about your business that only others in the same business can understand | | 2. | talk - discussion; (`talk about' is a less formal alternative for `discussion of'); "his poetry contains much talk about love and anger"discussion, discourse, treatment - an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic; "the book contains an excellent discussion of modal logic"; "his treatment of the race question is badly biased" | | 3. | talk - the act of giving a talk to an audience; "I attended an interesting talk on local history"lecturing, lecture - teaching by giving a discourse on some subject (typically to a class) chalk talk - a talk that uses a blackboard and chalk | | 4. | talk - a speech that is open to the public; "he attended a lecture on telecommunications"speech, address - the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience; "he listened to an address on minor Roman poets" | | 5. | talk - idle gossip or rumor; "there has been talk about you lately"scuttlebutt, gossip, comment - a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people; "the divorce caused much gossip" | | Verb | 1. | talk - exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; "Actions talk louder than words"proceed, continue, carry on, go on - continue talking; "I know it's hard," he continued, "but there is no choice"; "carry on--pretend we are not in the room" dissertate, hold forth, discourse - talk at length and formally about a topic; "The speaker dissertated about the social politics in 18th century England" pontificate - talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner; "The new professor always pontificates" talk down - speak in a condescending manner, as if to a child; "He talks down to her" spiel - speak at great length (about something) cheek - speak impudently to level - talk frankly with; lay it on the line; "I have to level with you" talk turkey - discuss frankly, often in a business context dish the dirt, gossip - wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies; "She won't dish the dirt" | | 2. | talk - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize"read - look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed; "The King will read the proclamation at noon" troll - speak or recite rapidly or in a rolling voice begin - begin to speak or say; "Now listen, friends," he began lip off, shoot one's mouth off - speak spontaneously and without restraint; "She always shoots her mouth off and says things she later regrets" shout - utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking); "My grandmother is hard of hearing--you'll have to shout" whisper - speak softly; in a low voice peep - speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice speak up - speak louder; raise one's voice; "The audience asked the lecturer to please speak up" snap, snarl - utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone; "The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer"; "The guard snarled at us" speak in tongues - speak unintelligibly in or as if in religious ecstasy; "The parishioners spoke in tongues" swallow - utter indistinctly; "She swallowed the last words of her speech" whiff - utter with a puff of air; "whiff out a prayer" rasp - utter in a grating voice deliver, present - deliver (a speech, oration, or idea); "The commencement speaker presented a forceful speech that impressed the students" blabber, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, gabble, gibber, blab, clack, maunder, chatter - speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly chatter - make noise as if chattering away; "The magpies were chattering in the trees" open up - talk freely and without inhibition murmur - speak softly or indistinctly; "She murmured softly to the baby in her arms" slur - utter indistinctly bark - speak in an unfriendly tone; "She barked into the dictaphone" bay - utter in deep prolonged tones cackle - talk or utter in a cackling manner; "The women cackled when they saw the movie star step out of the limousine" babble - utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way; "The old man is only babbling--don't pay attention" intone, tone, chant - utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically; "The students chanted the same slogan over and over again" | | 3. | talk - use language; "the baby talks already"; "the prisoner won't speak"; "they speak a strange dialect"run on - talk or narrate at length smatter - speak with spotty or superficial knowledge; "She smatters Russian" slang - use slang or vulgar language | | 4. | talk - reveal information; "If you don't oblige me, I'll talk!"; "The former employee spilled all the details"tell - let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late" | | 5. | talk - divulge confidential information or secrets; "Be careful--his secretary talks"disclose, let on, divulge, expose, give away, let out, reveal, unwrap, discover, bring out, break - make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case" talk, spill - reveal information; "If you don't oblige me, I'll talk!"; "The former employee spilled all the details" | | 6. | talk - deliver a lecture or talk; "She will talk at Rutgers next week"; "Did you ever lecture at Harvard?"preach, prophesy - deliver a sermon; "The minister is not preaching this Sunday" instruct, teach, learn - impart skills or knowledge to; "I taught them French"; "He instructed me in building a boat" |
talk verb 1. speak, chat, chatter, converse, communicate, rap ( slang) articulate, witter ( informal) gab ( informal) express yourself, prattle, natter, shoot the breeze U.S. ( slang) prate, run off at the mouth ( slang) earbash Austral., N.Z. ( slang) noun 4. speech, lecture, presentation, report, address, seminar, discourse, sermon, symposium, dissertation, harangue, oration, disquisition, whaikorero N.Z. 9. (often plural) meeting, conference, discussions, negotiations, congress, summit, mediation, arbitration, conciliation, conclave, palaver, parley, hui N.Z. talk big boast, exaggerate, brag, crow, vaunt, bluster, blow your own trumpet talk someone into something persuade, convince, win someone over, sway, bring round ( informal) sweet-talk someone into, prevail on or upon
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