talk

verb

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\ ˈtȯk

talked; talking; talks

Definition of talk

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken words

b : to convey information or communicate in any way (as with signs or sounds) can make a trumpet talk make the computer talk to the printer

2 : to use speech : speak

3a : to speak idly : prate

b : gossip

c : to reveal secret or confidential information

4 : to give a talk : lecture

transitive

1 : to deliver or express in speech : utter

2 : to make the subject of conversation or discourse : discuss talk business

3 : to influence, affect, or cause by talking talked them into going

4 : to use (a language) for conversing or communicating : speak

talk back

: to answer impertinently

talk sense

: to voice rational, logical, or sensible thoughts

talk through one's hat

: to voice irrational, illogical, or erroneous ideas

talk turkey

: to speak frankly or bluntly

talk

noun

Definition of talk (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act or an instance of talking : speech

2 : a way of speaking : language

3 : pointless or fruitless discussion : verbiage

4 : a formal discussion, negotiation, or exchange of views —often used in plural

5a : mention, report

b : rumor, gossip

6 : the topic of interested comment, conversation, or gossip it's the talk of the town

7a : address, lecture

b : written analysis or discussion presented in an informal or conversational manner

8 : communicative sounds or signs resembling or functioning as talk bird talk

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Examples of talk in a Sentence

Verb She never talks at the meetings. He did most of the talking during dinner. He loves to hear himself talk. I think she's talking a lot of nonsense. I can't talk right now. I'm running late. They were talking in Spanish. We talked on the phone until midnight. Both sides in the dispute are now willing to talk. They are in the conference room talking business. She had laryngitis and couldn't talk. Noun the noted author's talk on the state of the modern novel what good will all this talk do when we need to take action now?

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Unfortunately, this version of the car does not talk. — Lauren M. Johnson, CNN, "David Hasselhoff is auctioning off his personal K.I.T.T. car from the iconic 'Knight Rider' series," 16 Jan. 2021 What do famous people talk about behind closed doors? — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "One Night in Miami Blends Fact and Fiction to Bring Civil Rights-Era Luminaries to Life," 15 Jan. 2021 But most of all, K-pop stars seldom talk about mental health. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Jae of DAY6 Wants to Change the Mental Health Conversation in K-Pop," 15 Jan. 2021 Dear Amy: My live-in boyfriend of four years is selfish, defiant, impatient and impossible to talk to. — Amy Dickinson, oregonlive, "Ask Amy: Woman needs to recognize the ‘man-boy’ monster she helped create," 13 Jan. 2021 Dear Amy: My live-in boyfriend of four years is selfish, defiant, impatient and impossible to talk to. — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, "Mom’s martyrdom creates a man-boy monster," 13 Jan. 2021 Wi-Fi devices made by different companies can talk to each other. — Bhaskar Krishnamachari, The Conversation, "How does Wi-Fi work? An electrical engineer explains," 12 Jan. 2021 Or talk to your podmates about their healthy eating goals. — New York Times, "Recycle Your Pandemic Habits," 9 Jan. 2021 The team did talk about the Tuesday decision in Kenosha County, Wis., in which the district attorney there decided not to press charges against the officer who shot Jacob Blake. — Adam Himmelsbach, BostonGlobe.com, "Celtics coach Brad Stevens blasts President Trump, calling Wednesday’s events a ‘disgraceful ending’," 6 Jan. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun For now, some limoncello and Champagne keep them entertained while Eddie and Francesca talk to Lee about what the hell to do with the guests. — Justin Curto, Vulture, "Below Deck Recap: Off the Deep End," 4 Jan. 2021 The performance is free and will be followed by a live talk with the artists. — New York Times, "Gaze at the Night Skies and Unwind With a Yoga Class," 3 Jan. 2021 Another turn in life came in 2003, when a women’s group at Emory asked her to give a talk about her codebreaking work, said Fred Benario. — Mark Woolsey, ajc, "Janice Benario, 97, worked on WWII code-breaking team," 30 Dec. 2020 Across college football there already has been talk about who will and who won't be back next year, with the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to all players. — Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, "Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos addresses Boise State rumors," 30 Dec. 2020 The Astros season felt like a slog as every national broadcast led to incessant talk about the cheating scandal that was sooooo pre-pandemic. — Matt Young, Chron, "The 10 Houston sports moments that made 2020 even worse," 29 Dec. 2020 The curfew isn’t just talk; as with wearing masks and social distancing, most of the Bay Area eagerly follows the rules. — Joseph Horton, Time, "An After-Curfew Drive With My New Baby Brought the Lessons of the Pandemic Into Sharper Focus," 28 Dec. 2020 Slazer said there hasn't been much talk about extending either it or Farmers to Families. — Chad Calder | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Louisiana food banks brace for 'food cliff' as federal programs expire," 25 Dec. 2020 There had been talk the Huskies might try to schedule undefeated BYU this weekend because the Pac-12 amended its rules to allow teams to schedule out-of-conference opponents. — Anne M. Peterson, SFChronicle.com, "Pac-12’s traditional rivalries look untraditional in 2020," 26 Nov. 2020

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