backtalk

English

Etymology

From back +‎ talk.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bæk.tɔːk/
(US) IPA^(key): /bæk.tɔk/

Noun

backtalk (uncountable)

(US) Verbal impudence or argumentative discourse, given in response.
Don't give me any backtalk; just go clean your room.
- 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
  He scratched his head. "Well, damn me," said he. "I never thought I would take orders from a Chink, but he says 'hist!' and by crums you've got to hist and no back talk either."

Synonyms

(verbal impudence or argument): backchat (UK), derision, lip, sass, rebuttal

Related terms

backchat (UK)

Translations

verbal impudence or argument

Bulgarian: дързък отговор m (dǎrzǎk otgovor), остроумно възраже́ние n (ostroumno vǎzražénie)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 駁嘴, 驳嘴 (bok³ zeoi²)
Dutch: tegenspraak (nl)
Esperanto: kontraŭparolo
Finnish: vastaväite (fi)
French: contradiction (fr) f, protestation (fr) f, réponse (fr) f
German: Widerworte (de) n pl
Irish: gearr-aighneas m, gearrchaint f, seanchaint f, aibéil chainte f
Russian: де́рзкий отве́т m (dérzkij otvét), ре́зкое возраже́ние n (rézkoje vozražénije), препира́тельство (ru) n (prepirátelʹstvo), пререка́ния (ru) n pl (prerekánija)

Verb

backtalk (third-person singular simple present backtalks, present participle backtalking, simple past and past participle backtalked)

(transitive) To respond to in an aggressively disputatious, often sarcastic or insolent manner.
Peter was sent to detention for backtalking the teacher.

Synonyms

(disputatively or sarcastically respond): backchat (UK), mouth off, sass

Derived terms

backtalker

Translations

disputatively or sarcastically respond

Dutch: tegenspreken (nl)
Esperanto: kontraŭdiri, protesti
Finnish: väittää vastaan
French: contredire (fr), protester (fr), répondre (fr)
Maori: toi, toitoi
Quechua: kutipakuy
Russian: пререка́ться (ru) impf (prerekátʹsja), препира́ться (ru) impf (prepirátʹsja)

Anagrams

talk back, talkback