happy talk

noun

Definition of happy talk

1 : informal talk among the participants in a television news broadcast also : a broadcast format featuring such talk

2 : optimistic talk

Examples of happy talk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Biden sought to present himself as empathetic and somber, a contrast to what some consider the previous president’s happy talk as infections spread and the death toll, now approaching 530,000 in the United States, climbed. — W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, "Biden to public on coronavirus: Trust the science — and me," 11 Mar. 2021 The ubiquitous mask-wearing and grim tone when speaking of COVID-19 — Biden predicted deaths would top 500,000 — were a contrast with Trump’s unmasked happy talk. — W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, "Biden moves quickly to erase traces of Trump," 21 Jan. 2021 His behavior, since leaving the hospital on Monday, appears to be a continuation of the kind of scientifically dubious happy talk that has left the Trump-Pence ticket at a significant polling disadvantage four weeks before Election Day. — Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, "Pence, Peerless Trump Defender, Confronts His Limits," 8 Oct. 2020 The tone was a sharp contrast with President Trump, who was frequently criticized for offering happy talk about the pandemic. — W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, "'Things will get worse before they get better': Biden's grim COVID-19 speech offers contrast with Trump," 29 Dec. 2020 Democrats are meeting that with more happy talk of unity and normalcy. — Charles M. Blow New York Times, Star Tribune, "It's a restoration, not a revolution," 9 Nov. 2020 Trump continued to speak as if happy talk were the main way to show leadership during the COVID pandemic. — Ramesh Ponnuru Bloomberg Opinion (tns), Star Tribune, "The final debate: Trump shows discipline, but lacks a game-changer," 23 Oct. 2020 The White House needs to reassure Americans not with happy talk but with daily medical briefings that are candid and complete. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "White House Medical Confusion," 4 Oct. 2020 His tax returns reveal just how much the company was paying him for the happy talk: $8.8 million over 10 years, including $1 million in 2009 — the nadir of the Great Recession, when desperate people were drawn to promises of a fast payday. — Mike Mcintire, Russ Buettner And Susanne Craig, New York Times, "How Reality-TV Fame Handed Trump a $427 Million Lifeline," 28 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'happy talk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

26 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Happy talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happy%20talk. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.

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