talk back

talk back
ANSWER BACK, be impertinent, be cheeky, be rude; contradict, argue with, disagree with.
→ talk

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intransitive verb
Etymology: talk (I) + back, adverb
: to speak in answer usually to a command or admonishment in a flippant or impertinent manner — usually used with to

her children talk back to her — Saturday Review

a young man should not talk back to his superiors

soldiers are taught not to talk back to superior officers

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talk back
1. To reply impudently
2. To reply on a two-way radio system
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Main Entry: ↑talk

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ˌtalk ˈback [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they talk back he/she/it talks back present participle talking back past tense talked back past participle talked back] phrasal verb
to reply quickly and often rudely to something that someone says. This expression is used especially to describe children being rude to their parents
talk back to:

Melanie, don’t talk back to your mother!

Thesaurus: to reply or to answersynonym
Main entry: talk

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reply defiantly or insolently

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talk back [phrasal verb]
: to answer (someone) in a rude way that does not show proper respect

Don't talk back!

— often + to

She was punished for talking back to her parents.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑talk

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • talk back to — talk back (to (someone)) to answer rudely. They were arrested on minor charges after talking back to a police officer. In my family, kids just never talked back. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of talk back (= to answer someone) …   New idioms dictionary

  • talk back — (to (someone)) to answer rudely. They were arrested on minor charges after talking back to a police officer. In my family, kids just never talked back. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of talk back (= to answer someone) …   New idioms dictionary

  • talk\ back — • talk back • answer back v informal To answer rudely; reply in a disrespectful way; be fresh. When the teacher told the boy to sit down, he talked back to her and said she couldn t make him. Mary talked back when her mother told her to stop… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • talk back — phrasal verb [intransitive] Word forms talk back : present tense I/you/we/they talk back he/she/it talks back present participle talking back past tense talked back past participle talked back to reply quickly and often rudely to something that… …   English dictionary

  • talk back — v. (D; intr.) to talk back to (to talk back to one s boss) * * * [ tɔːk bæk] (D;intr.) to talk back to (to talk back to one s boss) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • talk back — PHRASAL VERB If you talk back to someone in authority such as a parent or teacher, you answer them in a rude way. [V P to n] How dare you talk back to me! [V P] ...I talked back and asked questions. Syn: answer back …   English dictionary

  • talk-back — ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun ( s) Etymology: from the phrase talk back, from talk (I) + back, adverb : a two way radio system providing especially for one receiving instructions or directions to speak back to the instructor; especially : such a system set …   Useful english dictionary

  • talk-back — /tawk bak /, n. Radio and Television. a communications system enabling those in the studio to hear control room personnel through a loudspeaker or headphones. [n. use of v. phrase talk back] * * * …   Universalium

  • talk back — reply without respect, lip off    In China, kids don t talk back to their parents, do they? …   English idioms

  • talk back — answer rudely She is very strict and never allows her children to talk back to her …   Idioms and examples

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