"talk back" meaning in English

See talk back in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-talk back.ogg Forms: talks back [present, singular, third-person], talking back [participle, present], talked back [participle, past], talked back [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} talk back (third-person singular simple present talks back, present participle talking back, simple past and past participle talked back)
  1. (idiomatic, intransitive, often with to + d.o.) To reply impertinently or rudely; to answer in a cheeky or rude manner. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive, often Synonyms (reply impertinently): backtalk [verb] Translations (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner): wem a Goschn åhänga (Bavarian), 駁嘴 (Chinese Cantonese), 驳嘴 (bok³ zeoi²) (Chinese Cantonese), 頂嘴 (Chinese Mandarin), 顶嘴 (dǐngzuǐ) (Chinese Mandarin), odmlouvat (Czech), väittää vastaan (Finnish), ramener sa gueule [colloquial] (French), Widerworte geben (German), frech antworten (German), rispondere in malo modo (Italian), rispondere (Italian), rimbeccare (Italian), controbattere (Italian), ribattere (Italian), eccepire (Italian), odpyskiwać [imperfective] (Polish), odpyskowywać [imperfective] (Polish), odpyskować [perfective] (Polish), огрызаться (ogryzatʹsja) (Russian), дерзить (derzitʹ) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-talk_back-en-verb-qPSavUsY Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "back", Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bavarian translations, Terms with Cantonese translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 75 25 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "back": 80 20 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 83 17 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 80 20 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 87 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Bavarian translations: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Cantonese translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 84 16 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 83 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 84 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 84 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 75 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of 'reply impertinently': 93 7 Disambiguation of 'to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner': 97 3
  2. (idiomatic) To return disrespect. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms (both senses): answer back Derived forms: talkback [noun]
    Sense id: en-talk_back-en-verb-eTMo2WXU Disambiguation of 'both senses': 43 57

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "talks back",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "talking back",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "talked back",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "talked back",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "talk back (third-person singular simple present talks back, present participle talking back, simple past and past participle talked back)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "75 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"back\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "87 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bavarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Cantonese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "75 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Jane talked back a little too often.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Jane talked back to most of her teachers.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To reply impertinently or rudely; to answer in a cheeky or rude manner."
      ],
      "id": "en-talk_back-en-verb-qPSavUsY",
      "links": [
        [
          "to",
          "to"
        ],
        [
          "d.o.",
          "direct object#English"
        ],
        [
          "reply",
          "reply"
        ],
        [
          "impertinently",
          "impertinently"
        ],
        [
          "rudely",
          "rudely"
        ],
        [
          "answer",
          "answer"
        ],
        [
          "cheeky",
          "cheeky"
        ],
        [
          "rude",
          "rude"
        ],
        [
          "manner",
          "manner"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, intransitive, often with to + d.o.) To reply impertinently or rudely; to answer in a cheeky or rude manner."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "with to + d.o."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "sense": "reply impertinently",
          "tags": [
            "verb"
          ],
          "word": "backtalk"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive",
        "often"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "bar",
          "lang": "Bavarian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "wem a Goschn åhänga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "駁嘴"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "roman": "bok³ zeoi²",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "驳嘴"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "頂嘴"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "dǐngzuǐ",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "顶嘴"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "odmlouvat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "väittää vastaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "ramener sa gueule"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "Widerworte geben"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "frech antworten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "note": "הִתְחַצֵּף (hitkhatsef, literally “he talked back”)",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "rispondere in malo modo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "rispondere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "rimbeccare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "controbattere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "ribattere"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "eccepire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "odpyskiwać"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "odpyskowywać"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "odpyskować"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ogryzatʹsja",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "огрызаться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "derzitʹ",
          "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
          "word": "дерзить"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "43 57",
          "tags": [
            "noun"
          ],
          "word": "talkback"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To return disrespect."
      ],
      "id": "en-talk_back-en-verb-eTMo2WXU",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To return disrespect."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "43 57",
          "sense": "both senses",
          "word": "answer back"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-talk back.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/70/En-au-talk_back.ogg/En-au-talk_back.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/En-au-talk_back.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "talk back"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"back\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bavarian translations",
    "Terms with Cantonese translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "talkback"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "talks back",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "talking back",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "talked back",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "talked back",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "talk back (third-person singular simple present talks back, present participle talking back, simple past and past participle talked back)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Jane talked back a little too often.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "Jane talked back to most of her teachers.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To reply impertinently or rudely; to answer in a cheeky or rude manner."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "to",
          "to"
        ],
        [
          "d.o.",
          "direct object#English"
        ],
        [
          "reply",
          "reply"
        ],
        [
          "impertinently",
          "impertinently"
        ],
        [
          "rudely",
          "rudely"
        ],
        [
          "answer",
          "answer"
        ],
        [
          "cheeky",
          "cheeky"
        ],
        [
          "rude",
          "rude"
        ],
        [
          "manner",
          "manner"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, intransitive, often with to + d.o.) To reply impertinently or rudely; to answer in a cheeky or rude manner."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "with to + d.o."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive",
        "often"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To return disrespect."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To return disrespect."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-talk back.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/70/En-au-talk_back.ogg/En-au-talk_back.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/En-au-talk_back.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "reply impertinently",
      "tags": [
        "verb"
      ],
      "word": "backtalk"
    },
    {
      "sense": "both senses",
      "word": "answer back"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bar",
      "lang": "Bavarian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "wem a Goschn åhänga"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "駁嘴"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "roman": "bok³ zeoi²",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "驳嘴"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "頂嘴"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "dǐngzuǐ",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "顶嘴"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "odmlouvat"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "väittää vastaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "ramener sa gueule"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "Widerworte geben"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "frech antworten"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "note": "הִתְחַצֵּף (hitkhatsef, literally “he talked back”)",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "rispondere in malo modo"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "rispondere"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "rimbeccare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "controbattere"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "ribattere"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "eccepire"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "odpyskiwać"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "odpyskowywać"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "odpyskować"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ogryzatʹsja",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "огрызаться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "derzitʹ",
      "sense": "to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner",
      "word": "дерзить"
    }
  ],
  "word": "talk back"
}

Download raw JSONL data for talk back meaning in English (5.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-11-21 using wiktextract (95d2be1 and 64224ec). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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