self-talk
noun
: 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
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
Thomas J. NardiNeil Fiore, a motivational speaker … says the road to timely tax filing can be reached with a little positive self-talk.—Kris Frieswick
Kris FrieswickExamples of self-talk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Additionally, even your self-talk is part of your mental environment.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for self-talk
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Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for self-talk
Cite this Entry
“Self-talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-talk. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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