as in lorded (it over)
to assume or treat with an air of superiority
just because I don't have extensive experience in the field is no reason to talk down to me as if I were a child
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talked down (to)
Verb
-
The traumas come from the way people responded, how they’ve been patronized and gaslit and shunned.
-
While women often visited less frequently—due both to distance, travel constraints and the fact that early retail environments were not designed with them in mind, Koehn says—most men at least occasionally patronized general stores, and many of them did so frequently.
Verb
-
Kirkmeyer has campaigned on affordability and safety issues, Bottoms is pushing for a redo of the state's education system among other things and Marx wants to cut regulations and lower the cost of living.
-
Terrell Carstens, a 25-year resident of Brookhaven, said she is frustrated the city made little effort to find places to cut costs instead of raising the rate.
Verb
-
That is, until she’s condescended by her chic coworker Emily (Emily Blunt), admonished by Miranda, and given a makeover by Runway art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci).
-
Susannah Fullerton on the French Writer’s Feline Muses La Chatte condescended to live with Colette (Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette), born in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, France, in 1873, died in Paris, 1954, novelist, actress and journalist.
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Talked down (to).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talked%20down%20%28to%29. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
