backtalk

noun, verb — 2 senses

backtalk

noun

UK /ˈbæk.tɔːk/ · US /ˈbæk.tɔk/

Etymology From back + talk.

1

Verbal impudence or argumentative discourse, given in response.

Don't give me any backtalk; just go clean your room.
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."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:

1 more example

"Squalled at me that she owned the business and that she wouldn't take any back talk from me and that the piece wasn't for sale. What could I do?"1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 156:

Synonyms: backchat, derision, lip, cheek, sass, rebuttal
Related terms: backchat, talkback, talk back

backtalk

verb

Etymology From back + talk.

1

To respond to in an aggressively disputatious, often sarcastic or insolent manner.

Peter was sent to detention for backtalking the teacher.

Synonyms: backchat, mouth off, sass, talk back
Derived terms: backtalker

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.