to communicate information by or as if by speaking:[no object]Can parrots really talk? Sometimes we just sit and talk.
to discuss or chat about (a topic): [~ + about + object]We talked about the movies.[~ + object]to talk politics.
to consult or confer:[no object;~ + with/to]Talk with your adviser.
to deliver a speech or lecture:[no object;(~ + on/about + object))]The professor talked on modern physics.
to give away secret information:[no object]The spy talked during interrogation.
to express in words:[~ + object]Now you're talking sense.
to use (a language) in speaking or conversing:[~ + object]They talk French together.
to drive or influence by talk:[~ + object]to talk a person to sleep.
talk around, [~ + around + object] to avoid discussion of:They talked around the problem and never really addressed it.
Idiomstalk back, [no object; (~ + to + object])] to reply in a disrespectful manner:to talk back (to one's parents).
talk down to, [~ + down + to + object] to speak in a superior tone:A good teacher won't talk down to his or her students.
talk out, to try to clarify or resolve by discussion: [~ + out + object]to talk out the problem.[~ + object +out]Don't just walk out; let's talk it out.
talk (someone) out of (something), [~ + object + out + of + object] to convince (someone) not to do (something):I talked him out of quitting just yet.
talk over, to consider; discuss: [~ + object + over]Let's talk it over before getting angry.[~ + over + object]Let's talk over the problem with your teacher.
talk up:
to help the progress of (someone or something) by means of praise; promote: [~ + up + object]He talked up the chances of his team.[~ + object + up]I talked you up to the woman who does the hiring.
[no object] to speak openly or distinctly.
n.
the act of talking; speech or conversation:[countable]We had a short talk before class.
an often informal speech or lecture:[countable]a little talk on her research.
to communicate or exchange ideas, information, etc., by speaking:to talk about poetry.
to consult or confer:Talk with your adviser.
to spread a rumor or tell a confidence; gossip.
to chatter or prate.
to employ speech; perform the act of speaking:to talk very softly; to talk into a microphone.
to deliver a speech, lecture, etc.:The professor talked on the uses of comedy in the tragedies of Shakespeare.
to give or reveal confidential or incriminating information:After a long interrogation, the spy finally talked.
to communicate ideas by means other than speech, as by writing, signs, or signals.
Computingto transmit data, as between computers or between a computer and a terminal.
to make sounds imitative or suggestive of speech.
v.t.
to express in words; utter:to talk sense.
to use (a specified language or idiom) in speaking or conversing:They talk French together for practice.
to discuss:to talk politics.
Informal Terms(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.
to bring, put, drive, influence, etc., by talk:to talk a person to sleep; to talk a person into doing something.
talk around, 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.
talk at:
to talk to in a manner that indicates that a response is not expected or wanted.
to direct remarks meant for one person to another person present; speak indirectly to.
talk away, to spend or consume (time) in talking:We talked away the tedious hours in the hospital.
talk back, to reply to a command, request, etc., in a rude or disrespectful manner:Her father never allowed them to talk back.
Informal Termstalk big, to speak boastingly; brag:He always talked big, but never amounted to anything.
Aeronauticstalk down:
to overwhelm by force of argument or by loud and persistent talking; subdue by talking.
to speak disparagingly of; belittle.
Also, talk in. to give instructions to by radio for a ground-controlled landing, esp. to a pilot who is unable to make a conventional landing because of snow, fog, etc.
talk down to, to speak condescendingly to; patronize:Children dislike adults who talk down to them.
talk of, to debate as a possibility; discuss:The two companies have been talking of a merger.
talk out:
to talk until conversation is exhausted.
to attempt to reach a settlement or understanding by discussion:We arrived at a compromise by talking out the problem.
Government[Brit. Politics.]to thwart the passage of (a bill, motion, etc.) by prolonging discussion until the session of Parliament adjourns. Cf. filibuster (def. 5).
talk over:
to weigh in conversation; consider; discuss.
to cause (someone) to change an opinion; convince by talking:He became an expert at talking people over to his views.
talk someone's head or 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.
talk to death:
to impede or prevent the passage of (a bill) through filibustering.
to talk to incessantly or at great length.
talk up:
to promote interest in; discuss enthusiastically.
to speak without hesitation; speak distinctly and openly:If you don't talk up now, you may not get another chance.
n.
the act of talking; speech; conversation, esp. of a familiar or informal kind.
an informal speech or lecture.
a conference or negotiating session:peace talks.
report or rumor; gossip:There is a lot of talk going around about her.
a subject or occasion of talking, esp. of gossip:Your wild escapades are the talk of the neighborhood.
mere empty speech:That's just a lot of talk.
a way of talking:a halting, lisping talk.
language, dialect, or lingo.
signs or sounds imitative or suggestive of speech, as the noise made by loose parts in a mechanism.
1175–1225; Middle English talk(i)en to converse, speak, derivative (with -k suffix) of tale speech, discourse, tale; cognate with Frisian (English dialect, dialectal) talken
Informal Terms(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.
(intransitive; often followed by to or with) to express one's thoughts, feelings, or desires by means of words (to); speak (to)
(intransitive) to communicate or exchange thoughts by other means: lovers talk with their eyes
(intransitive) usually followed byabout: to exchange ideas, pleasantries, or opinions (about)
(intransitive) to articulate words; verbalize
(transitive) to give voice to; utter: to talk rubbish
(transitive) to hold a conversation about; discuss: to talk business
(intransitive) to reveal information
(transitive) to know how to communicate in (a language or idiom): he talks English
(intransitive) to spread rumours or gossip
(intransitive) to make sounds suggestive of talking
(intransitive) to be effective or persuasive: money talks
now you're talking ⇒ informalat last you're saying something agreeable
talk big ⇒ to boast or brag
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 alsowalk
you can talk ⇒ informalyou don't have to worry about doing a particular thing yourself
you can talk, you can't talk ⇒ informalyou yourself are guilty of offending in the very matter you are decrying
n
a speech or lecture
an exchange of ideas or thoughts
idle chatter, gossip, or rumour
a subject of conversation; theme
(often plural) a conference, discussion, or negotiation: a round of talks
a specific manner of speaking: children's talk
Etymology: 13th Century talkien to talk; related to Old English talutale, Frisian talken to talkˈtalkern
Forum discussions with the word(s) "talk time" in the title: