To talk means to speak words aloud, to have a conversation with someone. When you talk with a friend at lunch, you're sharing thoughts, stories, and ideas through spoken language. People talk on the phone, talk during class discussions, and talk with their families at dinner.

The word has a casual, everyday feeling compared to formal words like “speak” or “discuss.” You might speak at an assembly but talk with your classmates afterward. When someone says “we need to talk,” they usually mean they want to have a serious conversation about something important.

Talk can also mean conversation itself: “We had a good talk about our project.” A talk can be a speech or presentation, like when a scientist gives a talk about her research. Sometimes the word describes empty words without action. If someone is “all talk,” they make big promises but don't follow through. “Talk is cheap” means that saying you'll do something is easy, but actually doing it takes real effort.

People also use talk in phrases like “talk someone into” something (convincing them) or “talk it out” (solving a problem by talking together).