talk
Part of speech: verb
noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Middle English talken, talkien, from Old English *tealcian (“to talk, chat”), from Proto-West Germanic *talkōn, from Proto-Germanic *talkōną (“to talk, chatter”), frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *talōną (“to count, recount, tell”), from Proto-Indo-European *dol-, *del- (“to aim, calculate, adjust, count”), equivalent to tell + -k.
Cognates
Cognate with Low German taalken (“to chatter, gossip, talk”). Related also to Bavarian zoin (“to pay”), Cimbrian zaln (“to pay”), Dutch talen (“to care, long; to speak; to say”), German zahlen (“to pay”), Mòcheno zoln (“to pay”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål tale (“to talk, speak”), Faroese, Icelandic, and Swedish tala (“to speak, talk”), Norwegian Nynorsk tala (“to speak, talk”); also Latin dolus (“deceit, deception, fraud, guile, treachery, trickery; malice; artifice, device, stratagem”), Ancient Greek δόλος (dólos, “deceit, trick; wiles; bait”), Armenian տող (toġ, “line (in a text)”). More at tale. Despite the surface similarity, unrelated to Proto-Indo-European *telkʷ- (“to talk”) (due to Grimm's law), which is the source of loquacious.
Inflected forms:
form: talks
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: talking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: past
form: no-table-tags
pos: verb
tags: table-tags
form: glossary
pos: verb
tags: inflection-template
form: talk
pos: verb
tags: infinitive
form: talk
pos: verb
tags: first-person
present
singular
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: first-person
past
singular
form: talk
pos: verb
tags: present
second-person
singular
form: talkest
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
second-person
singular
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: past
second-person
singular
form: talkedst
pos: verb
tags: archaic
past
second-person
singular
form: talks
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: talketh
pos: verb
tags: archaic
present
singular
third-person
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: past
singular
third-person
form: talk
pos: verb
tags: plural
present
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: past
plural
form: talk
pos: verb
tags: present
subjunctive
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: past
subjunctive
form: talk
pos: verb
tags: imperative
present
form: -
pos: verb
tags: imperative
past
form: talking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: talked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: talke
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: taulke
pos: verb
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: talks
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: To communicate, usually by means of speech.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: Let's sit down and talk.
Although I don't speak Chinese, I managed to talk with the villagers using signs and gestures.
I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you.
Then he commenced to talk, really talk. and inside of two flaps of a herring's fin he had me mesmerized, like Eben Holt's boy at the town hall show. He talked about the ills of humanity, and the glories of health and Nature and service and land knows what all. […] It was a chance he was offering me, a wonderful, eighteen carat, solid gold chance.
Mr. Campion appeared suitably impressed and she warmed to him. He was very easy to talk to with those long clown lines in his pale face, a natural goon, born rather too early she suspected.
Let’s go to my office and talk. ― I like to talk with you, Ms. Weaver.
“[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.
gloss: To discuss; to talk about.
pos: verb
tags: informal
transitive
examples: They sat down to talk business.
That's enough about work, let's talk holidays!
gloss: To speak (a certain language).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: We talk French sometimes.
gloss: Used to emphasise the importance, size, complexity etc. of the thing mentioned.
pos: verb
tags: informal
transitive
examples: Are you interested in the job? They're talking big money.
We're not talking rocket science here: it should be easy.
gloss: To confess, especially implicating others.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
slang
examples: Suppose he talks?
She can be relied upon not to talk.
They tried to make me talk.
gloss: To criticize someone for something of which one is guilty oneself.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: I am not the one to talk.
She is a fine one to talk.
You should talk.
Look who's talking.
gloss: To gossip; to create scandal.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: People will talk.
Aren't you afraid the neighbours will talk?
gloss: To manifest outwardly in speech, as opposed to reality or action.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Remember that Christ and Christianity may not always be the same thing; e.g. Jerry Falwell talks "Christianity" but practices hatred […] which is diametrically opposed to what Jesus really taught.
gloss: To influence someone to express something, especially a particular stance or viewpoint or in a particular manner.
pos: verb
tags: informal
examples: That's not like you at all, Jared. The drugs are talking. Snap out of it!
"So, are you going to give up all this good living and easy money and come fly for the Russians?"
"Hello no. I told you that yesterday."
"That was your wallet talking. The shooting has started. Now I appeal to your patriotism, your manhood, your sense of duty."
gloss: A conversation or discussion; usually serious, but informal.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: We need to have a talk about your homework.
All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill.[…]Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connection—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.
gloss: A lecture.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: There is a talk on Shakespeare tonight.
gloss: Gossip; rumour.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: There's been talk lately about the two of them.
gloss: A major topic of social discussion.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: She is the talk of the day.
The musical is the talk of the town.
gloss: A customary conversation by parent(s) or guardian(s) with their (often teenage) child about a reality of life; in particular:
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Have you had the talk with Jay yet? I found a condom in his room.
gloss: A customary conversation by parent(s) or guardian(s) with their (often teenage) child about a reality of life; in particular:
pos: noun
tags: US
countable
uncountable
examples: Later, I made sure to have the talk with my son about being a black boy, […]
All the black parents I have ever spoken to have had “the talk” with their sons and daughters. “The talk” is a conversation about how to behave and not to behave with police.
Now, I was a black man in the South, and my folks had had “the talk” with me. No, not the one about the birds and bees. This one is about the black man and the police.
gloss: Empty boasting, promises or claims.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: The party leader's speech was all talk.
gloss: Meeting to discuss a particular matter.
pos: noun
tags: countable
plural-normally
uncountable
examples: The leaders of the G8 nations are currently in talks over nuclear weapons.
Synonyms: chat
communicate
dictate
klatch
let on
make known
orate
say
speak
speechify
tell
write up
blabber
blather
conversation
discussion
gossip
prattle
speech
talk
Antonyms: silence
Related words: talkative
utter
verbose
Derived words: all talk and trousers
backtalk
bad-talk
betalk
crazy talk
double-talk
fast-talk
hark who's talking
I don't want to talk about it
if these walls could talk
intertalk
knock-and-talk
like talking to a brick wall
like talking to a wall
look who's talking
mistalk
nontalking
now you're talking
one to talk
on talking terms
outtalk
overtalk
press-to-talk
push-to-talk
shit-talking
sleeptalk
sleep-talk
smooth talk
smooth talking
smooth-talking
sweet-talk
talk a big game
talkable
talk a blue streak
talk about
talk about the weather
talk against time
talk a good game
talkaholic
talkaholism
talk-aloud protocol
talk aloud protocol
talk a mile a minute
talk and die syndrome
talk around
talk at
talkathon
talkative
talk back
talk big
talk cock
talk dirty
talk down
talk down to
talkee
talkee-talkee
talker
talk everything
talk fast and loose
talkfest
talk in circles
talking board
talking catfish
talking-drummer
talking film
talking movie
talking phase
talking picture
talking-point
talking stick
talking to
talk into
talk like a book
talk like an apothecary
talk nasty
talk of
talk of the devil
talk one's way out of
talk out
talk out of
talk out of one's arse
talk out of one's ass
talk out of one's ear
talk out of school
talk out of turn
talk out one's ass
talk over
talk over someone's head
talk past
talk round
talk sense
talk shit
talk shite
talk shop
talk smack
talk softly and carry a big stick
talk someone into something
talk someone out of something
talk someone's arm off
talk someone's ear off
talk someone's head off
talk someone's leg off
talk someone under the table
talk the ears off a donkey
talk the ears off someone
talk the hind leg off a donkey
talk the hind legs off a donkey
talk the leg off the Lamb of God
talk the legs off a pot
talk the talk
talk through
talk through one's ass
talk through one's hat
talk through one's nose
talk to
talk to a brick wall
talk to God
talk to God on the big white telephone
talk to oneself
talk to Ralph on the big white telephone
talk to the hand
talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening
talk trash
talk truth to power
talk turkey
talk up
talkworthy
talky
trash-talk
untalk
untalked
ve haf vays of making you talk
you can talk
you can't talk
you don't know what you're talking about
you shouldn't talk
you should talk
all talk
all talk and no action
all talk and no cider
baby talk
big talk
book talk
boy talk
bro talk
brush talk
bytalk
chalk and talk
chalk talk
chant talk
clapper talk
coffee talk
crib talk
cross talk
crosstalk
cybertalk
dharma talk
dirty talk
double talk
doubletalk
dread talk
dreadtalk
drum talk
elevator talk
foretalk
ginger talk
girl talk
guy talk
happy talk
hot talk
idle talk
intalk
lightning talk
locker room talk
man talk
metatalk
monkey talk
movie talk
needle talk
newstalk
peace talk
pep talk
pillow talk
plenary talk
potty talk
pretalk
real talk
rough talk
sales talk
self talk
self-talk
sex talk
shit-talk
shit talk
shop talk
side talk
sleep talk
smack-talk
smack talk
small talk
smoke-talk
stack talk
straight talk
street talk
sweet talk
table talk
talk-aholic
talkation
talkback
talk battery
talkboard
talk bomb
talk box
talkdown
talkful
talkgroup
talkie
talk is cheap
talk jock
talk jockey
talkless
talkloid
talk of the town
talk page
talk radio
talkshop
talk show
talksome
talk story
talksy
talk time
talky-talky
tangletalk
TV talk
twin talk
uptalk
uptalking
walk and talk
walkie-talkie
walk the talk
woman talk
X-talk
Translations:
lang: Arabic
word: مُحَادَثَة
roman: muḥādaṯa
lang: Arabic
word: كلام
roman: kalām
lang: Arabic
word: هَرْج
roman: harj
lang: Arabic
word: مُحادثة
roman: muḥādaṯa
lang: Armenian
word: զրույց
roman: zruycʻ
lang: Armenian
word: խոսակցություն
roman: xosakcʻutʻyun
lang: Belarusian
word: размо́ва
roman: razmóva
lang: Belarusian
word: гу́тарка
roman: hútarka
lang: Bislama
word: tok
lang: Buginese
word: bicara
lang: Bulgarian
word: ра́зговор
roman: rázgovor
lang: Bulgarian
word: бесе́да
roman: beséda
lang: Catalan
word: conversa
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 談話 /谈话
roman: tánhuà
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 會話 /会话
roman: huìhuà
lang: Choctaw
word: anumpa
lang: Czech
word: rozhovor
lang: Czech
word: konverzace
lang: Danish
word: samtale
lang: Danish
word: drøftelse
lang: Dutch
word: gesprek
lang: Dutch
word: conversatie
lang: Esperanto
word: konversacio
lang: Finnish
word: keskustelu
lang: French
word: discussion
lang: West-Frisian
word: petear
lang: Galician
word: conversa
lang: Georgian
word: საუბარი
roman: saubari
lang: Georgian
word: ლაპარაკი
roman: laṗaraḳi
lang: German
word: Gespräch
lang: Greek
word: συζήτηση
roman: syzítisi
lang: Hebrew
word: שִׂיחָה
roman: sikhá
lang: Hindi
word: बातचीत
roman: bātcīt
lang: Hungarian
word: beszéd
lang: Hungarian
word: beszélgetés
lang: Irish
word: caint
lang: Irish
word: aighneas
lang: Italian
word: conversazione
lang: Japanese
word: 話し
roman: hanashi
lang: Japanese
word: 会話
roman: kaiwa
lang: Kazakh
word: сөйлесім
roman: söilesım
lang: Kazakh
word: әңгіме
roman: äñgıme
lang: Kazakh
word: сұхбат
roman: sūxbat
lang: Korean
word: 이야기
roman: iyagi
lang: Korean
word: 대화
roman: daehwa
lang: Korean
word: 회화
roman: hoehwa
lang: Central Kurdish
word: دواندن
roman: dwandin
lang: Central Kurdish
word: قسە
roman: qse
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: axiftin
lang: Northern Kurdish
word: xeberdan
lang: Latin
word: sermō
lang: Lithuanian
word: pokalbis
lang: Low German
word: Gespreek
lang: Low German
word: Snack
lang: Macedonian
word: разговор
roman: razgovor
lang: Malayalam
word: സംസാരം
roman: saṁsāraṁ
lang: Malayalam
word: വർത്തമാനം
roman: vaṟttamānaṁ
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: samtale
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: prat
lang: Persian
word: گفتگو
roman: goftegu, goftogu, goftgu
lang: Persian
word: صحبت
roman: sohbat
lang: Polish
word: rozmowa
lang: Polish
word: konwersacja
lang: Portuguese
word: conversa
lang: Romagnol
word: abucamént
lang: Romanian
word: conversație
lang: Russian
word: разгово́р
roman: razgovór
lang: Russian
word: бесе́да
roman: beséda
lang: Scots
word: collogue
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: seanchas
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: còmhradh
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ра̏згово̄р
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: го̏во̄р
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: конверза́ција
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: rȁzgovōr
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: gȍvōr
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: konverzácija
lang: Slovak
word: rozhovor
lang: Slovak
word: konverzácia
lang: Slovene
word: pogȏvor
lang: Somali
word: hadal
lang: Swedish
word: konversation
lang: Swedish
word: prat
lang: Swedish
word: snack
lang: Tajik
word: гуфтугӯ
roman: guftugü
lang: Tajik
word: сӯхбат
roman: süxbat
lang: Tajik
word: муколама
roman: mukolama
lang: Tamil
word: உரையாடல்
roman: uraiyāṭal
lang: Telugu
word: కబుర్లు
roman: kaburlu
lang: Tocharian B
word: plāce
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: صحبت
roman: sohbet
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: محبت
roman: muhabbet
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: لقردی
roman: lakırdı
lang: Ukrainian
word: розмо́ва
roman: rozmóva
lang: Ukrainian
word: бе́сіда
roman: bésida
lang: Urdu
word: بات چیت
roman: bāt cīt
lang: Waray-Waray
word: istorya