1 B1 neutral
To persuade someone not to do something by talking to them.
"Her friends tried to talk her out of dropping out of university, but she had made up her mind."
separable
talk out of
B1 neutral separable transitive
To persuade someone not to do something through conversation.
In plain English
To use words to convince someone not to do something they were planning to do.
What does "talk out of" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Usage tip
Always followed by a gerund (-ing form): 'talked him out of quitting.' The direct opposite of 'talk into.' Very common in everyday English. Can imply helpful dissuasion or unwanted interference.
Words that pair with "talk out of"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
quitting leaving buying marrying going doing
How to conjugate "talk out of"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
talk out of
I/you/we/they
3rd person
talks out of
he/she/it
Past simple
talked out of
yesterday
Past participle
talked out of
have + pp
-ing form
talking out of
continuous
Hear "talk out of" in the wild
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Other ways to say "talk out of"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
convince not to discourage dissuade persuade against talk down from
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