▸ 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. □ [V n P v-ing] He talked me into marrying him. He also talked me into having a baby. [Also V n P n]
▸ talk out PHRASAL VERB If you talk out something such as a problem, you discuss it thoroughly in order to settle it. □ [V n P ] Talking things out with someone else can be helpful. □ [V P n] Talk out your problems. Do not keep them bottled up.
▸ 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. □ [V n P P -ing/n] My mother tried to talk me out of getting a dog.
▸ talk over PHRASAL VERB If you talk something over , you discuss it thoroughly and honestly. □ [V n P + with ] He always talked things over with his friends. □ [V n P ] We should go somewhere quiet, and talk it over. □ [V P n] Talk over problems, don't bottle them up inside.
▸ talk round in AM, usually use talk around PHRASAL VERB 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 □ [V n P ] He went to the house to try to talk her round. □ [V P n] It advises salesmen to talk round reluctant customers over a cup of tea.
▸ talk through
1 PHRASAL VERB If you talk something through with someone, you discuss it with them thoroughly. □ [V P n] He and I have talked through this whole tricky problem. □ [V P + with ] Now her children are grown-up and she has talked through with them what happened. □ [V n P ] It had all seemed so simple when they'd talked it through, so logical. □ [V n P + with ] He had talked it through with Judith.
2 PHRASAL VERB If someone talks you through something that you do not know, they explain it to you carefully. □ [V n P n] Now she must talk her sister through the process a step at a time.
▸ 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. □ [V P n] Politicians accuse the media of talking up the possibility of a riot. [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 ] □ [V n P ] Clarke kept talking the price up, while Wilkinson kept knocking it down. [Also V P n] SYNONYMS talk VERB 1
chat: The women were chatting.
chatter: Everyone's chattering away in different languages.
speak: I rang the hotel and spoke to Louie.
converse: Luke sat directly behind the pilot and conversed with him. NOUN 4
speech: She is due to make a speech on the economy next week.
presentation: …a business presentation.
seminar: …a series of half-day seminars on the subject.
lecture: In his lecture, Riemann covered an enormous variety of topics.
talka|tive /tɔː kət I v/ ADJ Someone who is talkative talks a lot. □ He suddenly became very talkative, his face slightly flushed, his eyes much brighter.
talk|er /tɔː kə r / (talkers ) N‑COUNT You can use talker to refer to someone when you are considering how much they talk, or how good they are at talking to people. □ …a fluent talker.
talkie /tɔː ki/ (talkies ) N‑COUNT A talkie is a cinema film made with sound, as opposed to a silent film. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
ta lk|ing hea d (talking heads ) N‑COUNT Talking heads are people who appear in television discussion programmes and interviews to give their opinions about a topic. [JOURNALISM ]
ta lk|ing point (talking points ) N‑COUNT A talking point is an interesting subject for discussion or argument. □ It's bound to be the main talking point during discussions between the Prime Minister and the President.
ta lk|ing shop (talking shops ) N‑COUNT If you say that a conference or a committee is just a talking shop , you disapprove of it because nothing is achieved as a result of what is discussed. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ]
ta lking-to N‑SING If you give someone a talking-to , you speak to them severely, usually about something unacceptable that they have done, in order to show them they were wrong. [INFORMAL ]
ta lk show (talk shows ) also talk-show N‑COUNT 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.
tall ◆◇◇ /tɔː l/ (taller , tallest )
1 ADJ Someone or something that is tall has a greater height than is normal or average. □ Being tall can make you feel incredibly self-confident. □ The windows overlooked a lawn of tall waving grass.
2 ADJ [as ADJ as ] You use tall to ask or talk about the height of someone or something. □ How tall are you? □ I'm only 5ft tall, and I look younger than my age.
3 PHRASE If something is a tall order , it is very difficult. □ Financing your studies may seem like a tall order, but there is plenty of help available.
4 PHRASE If you say that someone walks tall , you mean that they behave in a way that shows that they have pride in themselves and in what they are doing.
tal|low /tæ loʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT Tallow is hard animal fat that is used for making candles and soap.