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.
He was talked down in most of the cases by cabinet secretaries and lawyers — until the advent of the coronavirus. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025 People want to be inspired by their president, not talked down to. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025 Rebecca Harrell stars in a film that treats young people with intelligence and grace, never talking down to them like so much modern family entertainment, as the story of a wounded reindeer becomes truly magical. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025 Like Brown, the Wild Robot film team was adamant that their film would not talk down to the kids. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 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

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 18 Jan. 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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