Meaning & use
talking
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“talking” is a form of “talk”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
the act of speaking or having a conversation
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural: 'Talking helps.' Not 'a talking'.
Patterns
- talking about something
- talking to someone
- do the talking
Talking about your feelings can be difficult.
We need more talking and less arguing.
After hours of talking, they finally agreed.
adjectivebefore a noun
speaking; able to speak
Grammar: Comes before a noun: 'a talking bird'. Not after a verb.
Patterns
- a talking doll
- a talking head
The toy is a talking robot that says ten phrases.
In the movie, there is a talking cat.
Common combinations
- talking point
- The new policy became a talking point at the meeting.
- talking head
- The news show featured a talking head discussing the election.
- do the talking
- You just relax; I'll do the talking.
- talking to
- She gave him a serious talking to about his behavior.
- talking book
- A talking book is useful for people with poor eyesight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speaking
- More formal; often refers to the act of making a speech or using a language.
- chatting
- Informal; suggests a friendly, relaxed conversation.
- conversing
- Formal; means having a conversation, often in a serious or polite way.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: talking or speaking?
talking vs speaking
Similar but 'speaking' is more formal and often refers to the ability to use a language or to making a speech, while 'talking' is more general and informal.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'talking' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Talking to' is correct when you mean speaking to someone. 'Talking her friend' is missing a preposition. 'Talking with' is possible but less common in this context, and 'talking at' means speaking without listening, which is not intended here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “talking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.