uptalk
Syllables: up·talkUK/ˈʌptɔːk/US/ˈʌpˌtɔk/
uptalk noun: speech that has a rising intonation at the end of a sentence, as if it were a question; upspeak.
Noun
uptalk (uncountable)
- Speech that has a rising intonation at the end of a sentence, as if it were a question; upspeak.
- The sorority members' own interpretation of uptalk was that it was a way of being inclusive.1993, The New York Times Magazine, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 248
- Once used exclusively by teenagers, uptalk is increasingly found in the workplace with negative results. When statements sound like questions, speakers seem weak and tentative. […] On the job, managers afflicted by uptalk may have difficulty convincing staff members to follow directions because...2013, Mary Ellen Guffey, Dana Loewy, “Professionalism at Work: Business Ethiquette, Ethics, Teamwork, and Meetings”, in Essentials of Business Communication, 9th edition, Mason, Oh.: South-Western...
Verb
uptalk (third-person singular simple present uptalks, present participle uptalking, simple past and past participle uptalked)
- To speak with a rising intonation at the end of a sentence, as if it were a question; to upspeak.
- I asked the girl what she wanted. "Um, an apple martini?" she uptalked. / "I can do one," I said, "but you'll regret it." Our apple juice was disgusting and the apples we kept in stock weren't even the right kind.2004, Amy Sohn, My Old Man: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 265
- I drove my sneaker into her shin. "Our assignment was to pretend we were at a sporting event? Okay?" / "She uptalks when she's nervous," Cinnamon said to Lars. He chuckled, but her comment made me mad. And embarrassed. / "I'm not nervous," I said.2008, Lauren Myracle, Thirteen, New York, N.Y.: Dutton Children's Books, →ISBN
- Synonyms:
- upspeak
Examples of uptalk in a sentence
- Once used exclusively by teenagers, uptalk is increasingly found in the workplace with negative results.2013, Mary Ellen Guffey, Dana Loewy, “Professionalism at Work: Business Ethiquette, Ethics, Teamwork, and Meetings”, in Essentials of...
- This definition provides a lot of leeway, but at the same time constrains the possible scope of uptalk.2016, Paul Warren, “Introduction – Why ‘Uptalk’?”, in Uptalk: The Phenomenon of Rising Intonation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press...
- It's worth noting, too, that typical interpretation of uptalking – that the speaker is indicating doubt about their assertion – is inaccurate.2015, Rachel McKinnon, The Norms of Assertion: Truth, Lies, and Warrant (Palgrave Innovations in Philosophy), Basingstoke, Hampshire; New...
Synonyms of uptalk
Forms of uptalk
| third-person singular present | uptalks |
|---|---|
| present participle | uptalking |
| past participle | uptalked |
| past | uptalked |
Origin of uptalk
From up- + talk.
Words formed from uptalk
Questions about uptalk
- What does uptalk mean?
- Uptalk means speech that has a rising intonation at the end of a sentence, as if it were a question; upspeak.
- How do you use uptalk in a sentence?
- Once used exclusively by teenagers, uptalk is increasingly found in the workplace with negative results.
- What part of speech is uptalk?
- Uptalk can be a noun or a verb.
- How do you pronounce uptalk?
- Uptalk is pronounced /ˈʌptɔːk/ (UK).
Words near uptalk in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: uptalk (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-au-uptalk.ogg.
Cite this entry: “uptalk.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/uptalk. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.