Dictionary

talk back en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, intransitive, often, with to + d.o.) To reply impertinently or rudely; to answer in a cheeky or rude manner.
   • Jane talked back to most of her teachers.
   • And all over Hollywood, suits are licking their chops at the prospect of more malleable actors. “She’s not going to talk back,” one top talent wrangler told me dryly. 2025 October 4, Maureen Dowd, “When A.I. Came for Hollywood”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Oct 2025:
   • Jane talked back a little too often.
2. (idiomatic) To return disrespect.

Forms

Deriveds

talkback

Synonyms

backtalk (reply impertinently) · answer back (both senses)

Translations (23)

pt responder (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · it rimbeccare (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · cs odmlouvat (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · pl odpyskowywać (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · ru дерзить (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · fr ramener sa gueule (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · fi väittää vastaan (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · ru огрызаться (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · he הִתְחַצֵּף (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · it rispondere (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · yue 駁嘴 /驳嘴 (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · de Widerworte geben (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · it eccepire (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · cmn 頂嘴 /顶嘴 (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · de frech antworten (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · it ribattere (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · it controbattere (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · ceb tubagtubag (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · bar wem a Goschn åhänga (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · pl odpyskować (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · it rispondere in malo modo (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · uk огриза́тися (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner) · pl odpyskiwać (to reply impertinently; to answer in a cheeky manner)