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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Worldfor never talking down to me or being too afraid to address the hard things in life. Anna Earl, Parents, 11 Sep. 2025 Last week, Ralo took to social media to call Thug a divisive figure who had previously talked down on Rich Homie Quan and YFN Lucci to peers in a similar manner. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025 Boys Go to Jupiter captures an adolescent malaise without talking down to its teens — there is no preaching about real jobs, responsibilities, or five-year plans. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025 The two biggest economies just punted trade deal talks down the road — again. William Pesek, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for talk down

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Talk down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talk%20down. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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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