Home UK English talking

Meaning of talking in English:

talking

Pronunciation /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

Translate talking into Spanish

adjective

attributive

  • 1Engaging in speech.

    ‘The best part of the movie are the Ents - big, talking trees.’
    • ‘Kent Association for the Blind wants an editor for its talking newspaper for Dartford.’
    • ‘I never stopped dreaming that one day I would be crossing a bridge and a talking troll would be underneath.’
    • ‘With 12 feet of rain per year, Mission Beach residents have plenty of talking time.’
    • ‘If nothing else Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer is a straight talking man.’
    • ‘Sugar presses forward, rolling this talking Sisyphus stone farther up the slope, flashing William a smile of reassurance.’
    • ‘There's betrayal, murder, raucous feasts, flamenco dancing and the occasional talking tree.’
    • ‘We were being processed for flight by a talking orange.’
    • ‘While all the talking portions have been completely shot and edited, two more songs are being shot in New Zealand for Arul.’
    • ‘I mean, who wouldn't choose a talking cereal box over the sedentary and mute Rice Krispies?’
    • ‘It's a pity we can't ask his opinion, or at least the talking computer.’
    • ‘They've fashioned together the first talking heart rate recorder, like a polar monitor, only better.’
    • ‘I felt like a talking dictionary explaining the meaning of the word.’
    • ‘According to a recent Reuters report, Italian winemakers are about to market wines that come with a talking label.’
    • ‘I almost always like the talking part, just because I think people are interesting.’
    • ‘The talking portions for the movie starring the physically challenged dancer Kutty have been completed.’
    • ‘She walks with a cane and users a Brailer and a talking laptop computer to do her schoolwork and is the only blind teenager in a mainstream Oldham school.’
    • ‘The promotion is based around the customer being able to win unusual talking radios which have an alarm like a crowing rooster.’
    1. 1.1(of an animal or object) able to make sounds similar to those of speech.
      ‘the world's greatest talking bird’
      • ‘Yap had talked about his encounter with a magical talking fish who took him beneath the ocean and made him Lord of the Seas.’
      • ‘Needless to say the female customer at the bar was shocked by the insolent talking beast.’
      • ‘But her biggest role came opposite a talking gorilla in Congo.’
      • ‘Planet of the Apes follows the original storyline only insofar as there are talking apes.’
      • ‘Since when did we suspend enough belief to actually buy into talking cows?’
      • ‘He was dressed flamboyantly in bright and many coloured Mendai robes, and carried a talking parrot seated on his shoulder.’
      • ‘Matsa squirmed to look at what had pinned him to the ground, hoping it wasn't a talking goose.’
      • ‘But think about it: did you really think a movie about a talking pig would be any good?’
      • ‘Flashback sequences, talking dogs and stuttering pictures add to the general air of unease which the film carries.’
      • ‘The jury were staring like they'd never seen a talking cat before.’
      • ‘She hit the streets of Old Town with a talking fox called Freddie.’
      • ‘She was with a talking cat and dog, an warrior, a witch, and a water sprite.’
      • ‘Do you have any idea how hard it is to choose a talking animal mascot that makes sense?’
      • ‘Hints of Alice In Wonderland crept in with talking rabbits, trees and apples.’
      • ‘A crowd puller at the Park with his Kitty, magic and wit, Vinod says that children are bewildered by a talking monkey.’
      • ‘In fact, it probably dawns on one of them that they just might have a talking frog on their hands.’
      • ‘The books are filled with talking dogs, angels, spirits, ghosts, demons and death.’
      • ‘I am assuming that you're all aware that Stuart is a talking mouse and his appearance as a member of a human family is covered in the original.’
      • ‘Writer/director Denis Villeneuve uses talking fish as the narrative voice for reasons that remain a mystery.’
      • ‘The young protagonists are helped by the talking lion Aslan, and by the power of a prophecy stating that four children will end her terrible reign.’
    2. 1.2Silently expressive.
      ‘he did have talking eyes’
      • ‘Today this self-assured child arrives at school with a bounce in her step and a talking smile on her face.’
      • ‘He put down his sandwich, stared at me, into me, with talking eyes.’

noun

mass noun

  • The action of talking; speech or discussion.

    ‘I'll do the talking—you just back me up’
    • ‘We chatted for a while and the chatting moved quite smoothly, well as smoothly as talking can when there is competing loud music.’
    • ‘A small part of the surveyees said they had been subject to sexual harassment through the telephone or direct talking.’
    • ‘The issue of whether sport and politics should mix is a thorny one which endless talking will not smooth out.’
    • ‘Of course, once Marc went back he would likely be the one calling and talking, but it was nice to hear from Leera now and then.’
    • ‘Text messaging has many advantages over old - fashioned talking.’
    • ‘Using a mobile hub, units like the Nokia 6310i allow you more than hands-free talking.’
    • ‘And if he doesn't worry about it, confidence and talking will come naturally.’
    • ‘No talking is allowed; even a smile earns you a glare from the guards.’
    • ‘Kildare feet did the walking and talking in that blistering period.’
    • ‘Mr Hellawell's straight talking has made the headlines before.’
    • ‘I'm not quite sure how I feel about the random talking in between songs this week.’
    • ‘That was pretty good, although there was a lot of talking, including speeches afterwards.’

Phrases

    talking of —
    British

    • While we are on the subject of — (said when one is reminded of something by the present topic of conversation)

      ‘talking of cards, you'd better take a couple of my business cards’
      • ‘And talking of walks in the park, that's exactly what I plan for this weekend - a work-free couple of days including some pleasant strolling in the summer sun, with phones switched off and computers unplugged.’
      • ‘And talking of lives depending on it - if you sponsor me to run for the British Red Cross you will be helping to bring drinking water to Africa, helping people in war torn parts of the world and bringing relief to those in crisis.’
      • ‘And talking of politicians, as someone who is generally soberly dressed and because my day-job involves mixing with them, I am sometimes mistaken for one… a politician that is.’
      • ‘We read in the tiny church of the ‘desolate’ local roads, and of the church once being the haunt of outlaws; talking of roads - the three short stretches today yielded three cars.’
      • ‘And talking of announcements, what exactly happened to the Beatles-themed hotel the same team said would be opening in 2003?’
      • ‘And talking of photos, I am helping out at a photo-shoot tonight.’
      • ‘And talking of thieves, is anyone surprised burglary is on the increase?’
      • ‘And, talking of ruts, the landscape here is grooved with many prehistoric ones.’
      • ‘And talking of holidays, it's time I signed off and set off for a week at the seaside.’
      • ‘And talking of Brighton, I'm off there today with Sarah to see Neil, Emma and Kate.’