talk

1 of 2

verb

ˈtȯk

talked; talking; talks

Synonyms of talk next

intransitive verb

: to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken words

: 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

: to use speech : speak

: to speak idly : prate

: gossip

: to reveal secret or confidential information

: to give a talk : lecture

transitive

: to deliver or express in speech : utter

: to make the subject of conversation or discourse : discuss

talk business

: to influence, affect, or cause by talking

talked them into going

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

talker noun

talk

2 of 2

noun

: the act or an instance of talking : speech

: a way of speaking : language

: pointless or fruitless discussion : verbiage

: a formal discussion, negotiation, or exchange of views

—often used in plural

: mention, report

: rumor, gossip

: the topic of interested comment, conversation, or gossip

it's the talk of the town

: address, lecture

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

: communicative sounds or signs resembling or functioning as talk

bird talk

Phrases

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

Example Sentences

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? See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This is my fourth CPAC, a bi-yearly gathering of conservative groupies, donors, political operators, long-shot candidates, and packs of teenage boys in crisp suits who wander the hallways in packs and talk to no one else. —

Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 4 Mar. 2023 My deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile. —

Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2023 The second is that Black customers don't talk to people and businesses in a manner that gets them a good customer service experience. —

Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2023 Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien recently joined The G-Bag Nation on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM] on radio row from spring training in Surprise, Ariz. to talk having a normal offseason and which teammate impressed him during offseason workouts. —

Dallas News, 2 Mar. 2023 Someone was telling me to stick my butt out and jive talk and walk around and stick your lip out and bug your eyes. —

Mark Olsenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023 But because the former Alabama All-American did not talk to reporters immediately after the game, his injury has remained undisclosed. —

Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 26 Feb. 2023 When she’s asked to talk dirty — and mean — and guys casually throw chunks of cash her way. —

Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2023 Software and hardware across multiple stages all need to talk to each other and then communicate with us on the ground. —

WIRED, 23 Feb. 2023

Noun

So, that kind of talk is seventh grade, and sophomoric and does not serve us. —

ABC News, 5 Mar. 2023 Wading into the world of dirty talk can feel a little daunting or unfamiliar for newbies, but there are plenty of ways to learn. —

Georgina Kim, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2023 Several more tests will take place in the coming months, with the results of five years of talk, several delays and now just a couple track days finally coming to fruition. —

Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Mar. 2023 Netanyahu, who long has advocated military action against Iran, mentioned it again in a talk this week. —

Jon Gambrell, ajc, 24 Feb. 2023 Some opportunities that’ll be coming open include: ∎ 700 WLW’s talk-show lineup likely faces changes in the next few years as several hosts approach retirement. —

Jason Williams, The Enquirer, 24 Feb. 2023 Ramaswamy has also written prolifically on ESG and topics popular on the conservative-speaker and talk-show circuit, from big tech censorship to victimhood. —

Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 15 Feb. 2023 In this talk, experts explore various facets of the mental health crisis, from college campuses to underserved communities and international perspectives. —

David L. Coddoncontributor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2023 Duff was in New York and decided to sandwich a floral-design workshop in between talk-show interviews. —

Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2023 See More

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.