EN

Synonyms for talk

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

tell chat chatter babble say speak

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Chat

chat, tell, babble, converse, chatter, blab, rumor US, rumour UK, blab out, report, confab, word, palaver, consult, sing, tattle, confer, spill the beans, peach, bruit dated, confabulate rare

2. Speak

speak, say, utter, verbalize, verbalise UK, communicate, mouth

Other

confess, deliberate, spill, parlay, speechify rare

Noun

1. Conversation — meeting to discuss a particular matter

conversation, discussion, speech, conference, discourse, debate, meeting, reason, dialogue AU, dialog US, words, language, colloquy, confabulation

2. Prattle — gossip; rumour

prattle, blather, blabber, comment, gossip, jargon, twaddle, parlance, gibber, gabble, prate, causerie rare

Other

lecture, speaking, wording, phrasing, tongue dated

Antonyms

silence

All antonyms of talk →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To communicate, usually by means of speech.

    Let’s go to my office and talk. ― I like to talk with you, Ms. Weaver.

  2. v. 2

    To discuss; to talk about.

    They sat down to talk business.

  3. n. 1

    Gossip; rumour.

    There's been talk lately about the two of them.

  4. n. 2

    Meeting to discuss a particular matter.

    The leaders of the G8 nations are currently in talks over nuclear weapons.

Related words

Word family
talkative talker talkfest talky talkie talksome
Phrases
small talk talk over double talk talk shit talk about baby talk talk shite talk trash

Forms

Plural
talks → conversations, discussions, speeches, conferences…
Past participle
talked
e.g. talked → chatted, teld, babbled, conversed…

Choose the right word

Talk or Conversation?

Talk may denote the mere utterance of words with little thought; thus, we say idle talk, empty talk, rather than idle or empty conversation.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • tell Please tell me the closest station to your office.
  • chat Ziri and Rima continued to chat about their lives.
  • chatter She finds comfort in silence rather than chatter.
  • babble She didn't pay attention to her husband's babble.
  • say When can one say that a person has alcohol issues?
  • speak Few people can speak a foreign language perfectly.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
talkrising
tellrising
chatrising
chatterrising
babblerising
sayrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
say1
4 letters
tell1, word1, chat1, sing1, blab1
5 letters
words1, speak1, mouth1, utter2, peach1, spill1, rumor2, bruit, prate
6 letters
report2, reason2, speech1, debate2, tongue1, gossip2, dialog3, rumour2, confer2, jargon2, babble2, parlay2, tattle2, confab
7 letters
meeting2, comment2, lecture2, consult2, confess2, wording2, chatter2, palaver, prattle2, blather2, twaddle2, blabber2
8 letters
language2, speaking2, dialogue3, converse2, phrasing2, parlance2, colloquy3, causerie
9 letters
discourse2, verbalize3, verbalise, speechify3
10 letters
conference3, discussion3, deliberate4
11 letters
communicate4, confabulate
12 letters
conversation4
13 letters
confabulation5

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (utter2 = 2 syllables).