palaver

Examples

• All

• "Now we can stop all this tedious palaver and have fun," Hoxton said when Lefarn brought the good news.

  Fiction book (2001)

• "Well, I never heard such a palaver about an old house," Peter said.

  Fiction book (1997)

• All this palaver is just not going to work.

  Fiction book (1995)

• You and me gotta have a quick palaver.

  Magic (1978)

• Lily's charge against the men of today is that they are "all palaver," all talk.

  Academic text (1991)

• Despite the ongoing palaver about the project, very little action has been taken to implement the changes.

• During the meeting, the team grew weary of the endless palaver that lacked any real substance.

Synonyms

L

line

vspalaver

• Informal

816 8.0

A prepared phrase used to try to impress someone

is broader covering longer persuasive speech rather than brief remarks

R

rhetoric

vspalaver

292 7.0

Words that sound impressive but have little real meaning

is the common informal term for similar insincere talk

S

sweet talk

vspalaver

• Informal

26 4.3

Flattering words that try to persuade someone but are not sincere

is less about flattery and more about ornate empty persuasion

H

hot air

vspalaver

• Informal

22 5.3

Talk that sounds important but has no real meaning

leans toward deliberate persuasion and ornate empty phrasing

B

bluster

vspalaver

17 7.2

Loud talk that tries to impress but has little real effect

focuses more on forceful loudness than polished persuasive insincerity

S

spiel

vspalaver

• Informal

15 7.9

A long talk that tries to convince people to buy something

is often shorter and more casual than long rehearsed persuasive speeches

P

patter

vspalaver

7 7.4

Fast smooth talk used by salespeople to persuade people

is similar but emphasizes glib speed rather than ornate length

W

wind

vspalaver

• UK

5 8.6

Empty showy talk with little real meaning

is similar but often more blusterous and forceful in tone

E

empty words

vspalaver

4 5.1

Talk that has no real meaning and is not useful

often implies elaborate persuasion not only meaningless words

B

blandishment

vspalaver

• Formal

2 9.8

A friendly compliment meant to persuade someone to do something

is broader covering insincere talk rather than polite flattery

E

empty talk

vspalaver

1 4.3

Words that sound important but have no real meaning or action

adds a motive to impress or persuade rather than merely lacking substance

V

vaporings

vspalaver

• Archaic

1 9.9

Talk that brags and sounds false

focuses more on impressing by ornamented talk than mere boasts

V

vaporing

vspalaver

• Archaic

1 9.9

Talk that brags and makes things sound bigger than they are

matches exaggeration but stresses persuasion to please listeners

L

line of gab

vspalaver

• Informal

1 8.1

Smooth talk used to convince people, often by salespeople

is more general for persuasive or impressive speech in many settings

C

cajolery

vspalaver

8.4

Gentle praise and kind words used to get someone to do something

is less focused on flattery more on showy insincere speech to impress

P

prittle-prattle

vspalaver

• Archaic

9.7

Light talk about unimportant, silly things people say

is more purposeful aiming to impress or persuade rather than mere chit chat

Antonyms

S

substance

172 4.3

The main idea of something said or written

S

sincerity

65 3.1

A feeling of being honest and not pretending

How Sincere

argument

∞ 2.5

palaver

• Informal

1 8.8

idle talk

2 5.8

nonsense

523 2.5

Surface Forms

Etymology