self-talk

noun

ˌself-ˈtȯk 

: talk or thoughts directed at oneself

As we push through the pain during a race, it's natural to talk to ourselves. It's also natural to have an unpleasant conversation. Studies show that both negative and positive self-talk influence performance—you can guess which works best.

—Bicycling

… let's say a student said, "I'm having trouble learning these new techniques." The first thing I would do is probe into his self-talk. He's probably thinking, "I shouldn't be having so much trouble."

—Thomas J. Nardi

Neil Fiore, a motivational speaker … says the road to timely tax filing can be reached with a little positive self-talk.

—Kris Frieswick

Examples of self-talk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Intentionality is powerful On the way to drop his daughter off at kindergarten in the morning, Williams recites affirmations with her, hoping to teach her about positive self-talk. —Elise Devlin, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025

The emotional dysregulation that comes with ADHD can fuel negative emotions and self-talk that come up for people with anorexia. —Cheyenne Buckingham, SELF, 19 Mar. 2025

Having a fear of not being good enough and worrying about possible negative consequences of an exam involves negative self-talk. —Eric Wood, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

But positive self-talk and self-compassion give you the strength to get back in the saddle and recover more quickly from a mistake or failure. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-talk

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk