talk down

verb

talked down; talking down; talks down

intransitive verb

: to speak in a condescending or oversimplified fashion

transitive verb

: to disparage or belittle by talking

Examples of talk down in a Sentence

a company that prefers to talk up its own products rather than talk down those of its competitors
Recent Examples on the Web Misfits is a great example of a show for a teenage audience that respects its demographic rather than talking down to them. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024 He was talked down and arrested about 4:15 a.m., Rulon said. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2024 Take advantage of the extra eloquence to talk down any obstacles that may be hindering your path. Jennifer Culp, Them, 6 Sep. 2024 Some of her parts came out in full flashback mode, feeling absolutely terrified, and had to be talked down. Rebecca J. Lester, Scientific American, 1 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for talk down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'talk down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of talk down was in 1642

Dictionary Entries Near talk down

Cite this Entry

“Talk down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talk%20down. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

talk down

verb
: to speak in an overly simple manner as if to a person who does not know much
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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