talking

talking — verb

1. to produce words with your voice so that other people can hear and understand wh

1.verbintransitiveA1
Definition

to produce words with your voice so that other people can hear and understand what you mean — for example, telling someone a piece of news, asking a question, or just sharing your thoughts aloud.

Example

Amihan could hear someone talking loudly in the room next door.

hear + object + talking (perception verb pattern)

Yumi's doctor told her to rest her voice and avoid talking for two days.

avoid + -ing form: 'avoid talking'

Common collocations
  • hear someone talking
  • stop talking
  • start talking
  • keep talking
  • avoid talking
  • talking to a friend
  • talking with colleagues
Synonyms
  • speaking

    slightly more formal than 'talking'; emphasises the act of using language rather than the social interaction

  • chatting

    suggests a relaxed, friendly conversation without a serious goal

Antonyms
  • silence

    the absence of speech

  • listening

    the opposite action — receiving words rather than producing them

Grammar Patterns

talking + to/with + someone

start/stop + talking

hear + someone + talking

Usage Note

Frequently used in patterns with a verb of perception (hear someone talking) or with aspectual verbs (start/stop/keep/avoid talking).

Common Mistakes

❌ 'I talked with her yesterday in the meeting.' (when meaning general speaking, not a discussion) — This sentence is grammatically fine, but if you mean merely greeting or small talk, consider 'I spoke with her' or 'I chatted with her' to avoid sounding as if a serious discussion took place.

2. to hold a conversation with someone in order to work through a problem, disagree

2.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to hold a conversation with someone in order to work through a problem, disagreement, or conflict, with the aim of reaching a solution.

Example

After two hours of talking, the manager and the staff finally reached an agreement.

talking + reach an agreement (result pattern)

Tamás believes that talking is better than arguing when couples face a disagreement.

Common collocations
  • talking with management
  • talking things through
  • talking to settle a dispute
  • talking to reach an agreement
  • keep talking
Synonyms
  • negotiating

    more formal and implies a structured process of give-and-take, often in business or politics

  • discussing

    more neutral; can be used for any serious exchange, not just disagreements

Antonyms
  • fighting

    resolving differences through physical or verbal aggression instead of conversation

  • ignoring

    avoiding the problem rather than addressing it through talk

Grammar Patterns

talking + with + someone + about + something

keep + talking

Usage Note

The object of the discussion is typically a problem, disagreement, or conflict. Unlike sense 1 (SPEAKING), this sense implies a purposeful conversation aimed at resolution.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'We are talking about the new restaurant that opened downtown.' (when you mean casual conversation from sense 1) — Use sense 1 or 'chatting' for casual subjects; sense 2 is specifically for resolving issues.

3. to have a conversation that centres on a particular subject, theme, or area of i

3.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to have a conversation that centres on a particular subject, theme, or area of interest, without necessarily trying to solve a problem.

Example

Devika's family spent the whole evening talking about their summer holiday plans.

spend + time + talking about [topic]

The teachers kept talking about the new school rules during the lunch break.

Common collocations
  • talking about politics
  • talking about music
  • talking about the weather
  • talking about plans
  • spend time talking about
Synonyms
  • discussing

    more formal and often suggests a deeper or more analytical treatment of the subject

  • conversing about

    more formal; implies a polite, structured exchange rather than spontaneous talk

Grammar Patterns

talking + about + topic

spend time + talking + about

Usage Note

The topic is the centre of the conversation. Unlike sense 2, this sense does not imply a conflict or search for a solution — it simply names what the conversation is about.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'They were talking about the weather.' — This is correct usage for sense 3, but learners sometimes use 'discuss' without 'about' ('They discussed about the weather'). Remember: 'talk about' needs the preposition 'about', while 'discuss' does not.

4. to give a formal spoken presentation or lecture about a subject that you know we

4.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to give a formal spoken presentation or lecture about a subject that you know well, usually to an audience in an academic or professional setting.

Example

Professor Élise will be talking about climate change at the university hall next week.

talking about [topic] at [venue] (lecture pattern)

The author is talking about her latest novel at the city library this Thursday.

Common collocations
  • talking about climate change
  • talking at a conference
  • talking in front of an audience
  • talking on a subject
  • talking to students
Synonyms
  • lecturing

    more specific; implies a structured academic or educational talk

  • presenting

    broader; can refer to any formal spoken or visual presentation

  • speaking

    more general; 'speaking at a conference' is a common fixed phrase

Antonyms
  • listening

    the audience's role during a lecture

Grammar Patterns

talking + about/on + subject + to + audience

talking + in front of + audience

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (SPEAKING), this sense implies a prepared presentation to an audience. It is often followed by a topic phrase (about/on + subject) and a venue or audience phrase (at/in front of + audience).

Common Mistakes

❌ 'The professor is talking in the classroom to his students.' (ambiguous between sense 1 and 4) — If the professor is giving a formal lecture, specify the topic: 'The professor is talking about photosynthesis in the lecture hall.'

Phrasal verbs

talk back

phrasal verb

to reply rudely or disrespectfully to a person in authority, such as a parent, teacher, or boss.

When the teacher told Mert to sit down, he talked back and refused to follow instructions.

Amihan's mother scolded her for talking back during the family dinner.

talk through

phrasal verb

to discuss something carefully and in detail, step by step, so that everyone involved understands it or finds a solution.

The therapist helped the couple talk through their problems without raising their voices.

Before signing the contract, Devika talked through every clause with her lawyer.

talk into

phrasal verb

to persuade someone to do something that they are not sure about or do not want to do.

Samir talked his friend into joining the hiking club by promising it would be fun.

Nellie did not want to go to the party, but her sister talked her into it.

talk out of

phrasal verb

to persuade someone not to do something they were planning to do.

Renata's friends talked her out of quitting her job by reminding her of her long-term goals.

The financial advisor talked a young investor out of making a risky investment.

talk over

phrasal verb

to discuss a problem, plan, or issue thoroughly before making a decision.

The team sat down to talk over the proposed changes before voting on them.

Tamás and his business partner talked over the budget for more than two hours.

Idioms

talking point

idiom

a specific subject or argument that people are likely to discuss or debate, especially one promoted by a political group or campaign.

The senator's speech included several key talking points about tax reform that the party wanted to promote.

Climate change became the main talking point at the international summit.

talking head

idiom

a person on television who speaks directly to the camera, especially in news programmes, discussion shows, or political commentary.

The news channel fills its evening schedule with talking heads debating current events.

Yumi prefers documentaries over shows with talking heads because she likes to see real places.

talking-to

idiom

a serious conversation in which someone is told they have done something wrong and are given a warning or scolding.

After Eli broke the neighbour's window, his father gave him a stern talking-to about respecting other people's property.

The manager gave the team a talking-to after they missed three deadlines in a row.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe using language, but they differ in formality, purpose, and content. Talking is the most general — it covers any act of producing words aloud, from a quick greeting to a long conversation. Speaking is more formal and often focuses on the act of using a language or addressing an audience ('He speaks three languages'; 'The president spoke at the ceremony'). Chatting is informal and suggests a relaxed, friendly exchange with no serious goal, often about everyday topics. Discussing is more purposeful and implies a deeper treatment of a subject, usually with the aim of understanding or deciding something. Gossiping is negative — talking about other people's private lives when they are not present. For example: 'Amihan and Devika were talking in the kitchen' (neutral); 'Amihan was chatting with a friend about the weekend' (informal, light); 'The committee discussed the budget for an hour' (formal, purposeful); 'They were gossiping about the new neighbour' (negative, private details).

talking ↗speaking ↗chattingdiscussinggossiping

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • keep talking
  • stop talking
  • start talking
  • hear someone talking
  • spend time talking

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb 'talk' developed from Middle English 'talken', which is probably related to Old English 'talung' (the action of telling stories or relating information). 'Talung' itself comes from 'talu', meaning 'a story' or 'a series of events', which is also the source of the modern word 'tale'. The gerund noun 'talking' — meaning the act of speaking — appeared in late Middle English around the 14th century. The word can be traced further back to the Proto-Germanic root *talōną, meaning 'to count, tell, or recount'.