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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Does your party have a disdain problem in talking down to working class voters in particular? CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024 Gargoyles Few cartoons are as recognized for their mature storytelling as Gargoyles, a prime example of not talking down to a young audience. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024 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 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

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 14 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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