talk (talks plural & 3rd person present) (talking present participle) (talked past tense & past participle )
1 verb When you talk, you use spoken language to express your thoughts, ideas, or feelings.
He was too distressed to talk... V
The boys all began to talk at once... V
Talk is also a noun., n-uncount
That's not the kind of talk one usually hears from accountants.
2 v-recip If you talkto someone, you have a conversation with them. You can also say that two people talk.
We talked and laughed a great deal... pl-n V
I talked to him yesterday... V to/with n
When she came back, they were talking about American food... pl-n V about n
Can't you see I'm talking? Don't interrupt. V (non-recip), Also V to n about n
Talk is also a noun., n-count
(=conversation)
We had a long talk about her father, Tony, who was a friend of mine.
3 v-recip If you talkto someone, you tell them about the things that are worrying you. You can also say that two people talk.
Your first step should be to talk to a teacher or school counselor... V to n
We need to talk alone... pl-n V
Do ring if you want to talk about it... V about n (non-recip)
I have to sort some things out. We really needed to talk. V (non-recip)
Talk is also a noun., n-count
I think it's time we had a talk.
4 verb If you talkon or about something, you make an informal speech telling people what you know or think about it.
(=speak)
She will talk on the issues she cares passionately about including education and nursery care... V on/about n
He intends to talk to young people about the dangers of AIDS. V to n
Talk is also a noun., n-count oft N on/about n
A guide gives a brief talk on the history of the site...
5 n-plural Talks are formal discussions intended to produce an agreement, usually between different countries or between employers and employees.
oft N with/between n, N on/about n
Talks between striking railway workers and the Polish government have broken down...
6 v-recip If one group of people talksto another, or if two groups talk, they have formal discussions in order to do a deal or produce an agreement.
We're talking to some people about opening an office in London... V to n about n/-ing
The company talked with many potential investors... V with/to n
It triggered broad speculation that GM and Jaguar might be talking. pl-n V
7 v-recip When different countries or different sides in a dispute talk, or talkto each other, they discuss their differences in order to try and settle the dispute.
The Foreign Minister said he was ready to talk to any country that had no hostile intentions... V to n
They are collecting information in preparation for the day when the two sides sit down and talk... pl-n V
John Reid has to find a way to make both sides talk to each other... V to/with pron-recip
The speed with which the two sides came to the negotiating table shows that they are ready to talk. V (non-recip)
8 verb If people are talkingabout another person or are talking, they are discussing that person.
Everyone is talking about him... V about/of n
People will talk, but you have to get on with your life. V
Talk is also a noun., n-uncount usu N about/of n/-ing, N that
There has been a lot of talk about me getting married...
9 verb If someone talks when they are being held by police or soldiers, they reveal important or secret information, usually unwillingly.
They'll talk, they'll implicate me. V
10 verb If you talk a particular language or talk with a particular accent, you use that language or have that accent when you speak.
no passive
You don't sound like a foreigner talking English... V n
They were amazed that I was talking in an Irish accent. V prep/adv
11 verb If you talk something such as politics or sport, you discuss it.
no passive
The guests were mostly middle-aged men talking business. V n
12 verb You can use talk to say what you think of the ideas that someone is expressing. For example, if you say that someone istalking sense, you mean that you think the opinions they are expressing are sensible.
You must admit George, you're talking absolute rubbish. V n
13 verb You can say that you are talking a particular thing to draw attention to your topic or to point out a characteristic of what you are discussing.
SPOKEN no passive
We're talking megabucks this time. V n
14 n-uncount If you say that something such as an idea or threat is just talk, or all talk, you mean that it does not mean or matter much, because people are exaggerating about it or do not really intend to do anything about it.
Has much of this actually been tried here? Or is it just talk?...
15 You can say talk about before mentioning a particular expression or situation, when you mean that something is a very striking or clear example of that expression or situation.
INFORMAL
talk about sth phrase PHR n/-ing (emphasis)
Took us quite a while to get here, didn't it? Talk about Fate moving in a mysterious way!...
16 You can use the expression talking of to introduce a new topic that you want to discuss, and to link it to something that has already been mentioned.
talking of phrase PHR n/-ing
Belvoir Farms produce a delicious elderflower tea. Talking of elderflower, you might wish to try Elderflower Champagne.
17
→
to talk shop
→
shop talk around
→
talk round talk back phrasal verb If you talk back to someone in authority such as a parent or teacher, you answer them in a rude way.
How dare you talk back to me!... V P to n
I talked back and asked questions. V P talk down
1 phrasal verb To talk down someone who is flying an aircraft in an emergency means to give them instructions so that they can land safely.
The pilot began to talk him down by giving instructions over the radio. V n P
2 phrasal verb If someone talks down a particular thing, they make it less interesting, valuable, or likely than it originally seemed., (Antonym: talk up)
They even blame the government for talking down the nation's fourth biggest industry... V P n (not pron)
Businessmen are tired of politicians talking the economy down. V n P talk down to phrasal verb If you say that someone talks down to you, you disapprove of the way they talk to you, treating you as if you are not very intelligent or not very important., (disapproval)
(=patronize)
She was a gifted teacher who never talked down to her students. V P P n talk into phrasal verb If you talk a person into doing something they do not want to do, especially something wrong or stupid, you persuade them to do it., (Antonym: talk out of)
He talked me into marrying him. He also talked me into having a baby... V n P -ing/n talk out phrasal verb If you talk out something such as a problem, you discuss it thoroughly in order to settle it.
(=talk through)
Talking things out with someone else can be helpful... V n P
Talk out your problems. Do not keep them bottled up. V P n (not pron) talk out of phrasal verb If you talk someone out of doing something they want or intend to do, you persuade them not to do it., (Antonym: talk into)
My mother tried to talk me out of getting a divorce... V n P P -ing/n talk over phrasal verb If you talk something over, you discuss it thoroughly and honestly.
He always talked things over with his friends... V n P with n
We should go somewhere quiet, and talk it over... V n P
Talk over problems, don't bottle them up inside. V P n (not pron) talk round phrasal verb
in AM, usually use talk around If you talk someone round, you persuade them to change their mind so that they agree with you, or agree to do what you want them to do
He went to the house to try to talk her round... V n P
It advises salesmen to talk round reluctant customers over a cup of tea. V P n (not pron) talk through
1 phrasal verb If you talk something through with someone, you discuss it with them thoroughly.
He and I have talked through this whole tricky problem... pl-n V P n (not pron)
Now her children are grown-up and she has talked through with them what happened... V P with n n
It had all seemed so simple when they'd talked it through, so logical... pl-n V n P
He had talked it through with Judith. V n P with n
2 phrasal verb If someone talks you through something that you do not know, they explain it to you carefully.
Now she must talk her sister through the process a step at a time. V n P n talk up
1 phrasal verb If someone talks up a particular thing, they make it sound more interesting, valuable, or likely than it originally seemed.
Politicians accuse the media of talking up the possibility of a riot... V P n (not pron), Also V n P
2 phrasal verb To talk someone or something up in negotiations means to persuade someone to pay more money than they originally offered or wanted to. (mainly BRIT) Clarke kept talking the price up, while Wilkinson kept knocking it down. V n P, Also V P n (not pron)
baby talk , baby-talk
Baby talk is the language used by babies when they are just learning to speak, or the way in which some adults speak when they are talking to babies. n-uncount
Maria was talking baby talk to the little one.
double-talk , double talk
If you refer to something someone says as double-talk, you mean that it can deceive people or is difficult to understand because it has two possible meanings. n-uncount
pep talk (pep talks plural ), pep-talk A pep talk is a speech which is intended to encourage someone to make more effort or feel more confident.
INFORMAL n-count
Powell spent the day giving pep talks to the troops.
pillow talk
Conversations that people have when they are in bed together can be referred to as pillow talk, especially when they are about secret or private subjects. n-uncount
small talk
Small talk is polite conversation about unimportant things that people make at social occasions. n-uncount
Smiling for the cameras, the two men strained to make small talk.
sweet talk (sweet talks 3rd person present) (sweet talking present participle) (sweet talked past tense & past participle ), sweet-talk If you sweet talk someone, you talk to them very nicely so that they will do what you want. verb
She could always sweet-talk Pamela into letting her stay up late... V n into -ing/n
He even tried to sweet-talk the policewoman who arrested him. V n
talk show (talk shows plural ), talk-show A talk show is a television or radio show in which famous people talk to each other in an informal way and are asked questions about different topics. n-count
(=chat show)
