talk down
tawk DOWN
/tɔːk daʊn/
To speak to someone as if they are less clever or important than oneself; to patronize.
Always negative; it implies an arrogant or superior attitude.
The story behind the word. The 'down' signifies a vertical hierarchy. The speaker places themselves 'above' the listener and speaks 'down' to them.
Word relationships
- patronize: 'Patronize' is the formal equivalent.
- defer to: To speak to someone with respect or as an authority.
Commonly confused with
- talk over: 'Talk over' means to discuss something or to interrupt; 'talk down' is about status.
Collocations
- talk down to someone
- be talked down to
- stop talking down
Example sentences
- "Nobody likes the manager because he constantly talks down to his subordinates." Workplace dynamics.
- "She felt the professor was talking down to her because of her age." A social critique.
Memory hook
Imagine a giant speaking to a tiny person as if they are a baby. High horse, low talk.
When not to use
Don't use it if someone is just explaining something simply for clarity; it must involve an insult to the listener's intelligence.
Fun facts
- In aviation, 'talk down' means to give instructions to a pilot to help them land in an emergency.
Explore more words
condescending, patronizing, domineer, disparage, dictate, taunt
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