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Glite Dictionary
talkathon

talkathon

1 7.6
An event where people talk for a long time to raise money or get attention
  • noun
  • /ˈtɔːkəˌθɒn/
  • US
translation icon : charlatón
  • Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who led Friday's five-hour talkathon after the House shut down for the August recess, are also expected to be there, according to this aide.

Examples

  • If Geithner's performance at the WSJ-sponsored talkathon this week is evidence he will back the president's demand for higher rates on the rich, we should demand that he stay until the new Congress is sworn in.

    Blog text (23)

  • The constitutional case being made here is not directed at the individual talkathon but rather at filibusters conducted by those trying to kill legislation.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Use of this right leads to what might be called one-person talkathons.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The one-person talkathon is subject to the limits of human endurance; through teamwork, the filibuster overcomes the frailties of a single human body.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The charity organized a 24-hour talkathon to raise funds for local hospitals.

  • During the school's annual talkathon, students shared inspiring stories to raise awareness about climate change.

  • The radio station hosted a marathon talkathon where guests discussed various social issues throughout the day.

Synonyms

telethon
vstalkathon
27 3.0

A long TV or online show that asks people to give money to charity

is a continuous speaking event that may not rely on broadcast entertainment
talkfest
vstalkathon
  • Literature
1 7.0

A meeting where many people talk about a topic, often with little action

focuses on continuous speaking to raise money or attention instead

Antonyms

silence
660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

quiet
189 1.0

Not attracting attention and simple in style

How Long

talkathon
  • US
1 7.6
to lecture
65 3.8
speech
  • Formal
∞ 1.8
talk
718 1.8
remark
371 1.4

Surface Forms

talkathon singular
talkathons plural

Morphology

talkathon = talk (semi-transparent) = talk + athon

Formed from 'talk' plus the event-forming suffix '-athon'; the meaning 'an event of talking' is clear but '-athon' is a specialized productive element that may be unfamiliar to some learners.

Etymology

Talkathon is made from talk and the ending -athon. The ending -athon comes from marathon, a long race, and is also in telethon to mean a 'long' event often used to raise money, so a talkathon is a long time of talking to get attention or donations.