🗓️ Idiom: Talk Someone Out of Something (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To persuade someone not to do something.
- To convince someone to avoid a particular action or decision.
🧠 Example Sentences
- She talked her friend out of quitting his job.
- The manager talked the client out of making a hasty decision.
- He was talked out of investing in the risky project.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from ordinary conversational English, using “talk” to mean persuade. It is the opposite of “talk someone into something” and has been used in English since the early 20th century. In business and negotiation, it often refers to convincing someone to reconsider a decision.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
She managed to __________ him out of accepting the risky contract.
Answer
talk
2. Multiple choice:
What does “talk someone out of something” mean?
a) To persuade someone not to do something
b) To force someone to act
c) To agree with someone’s decision
Answer
a) To persuade someone not to do something
3. Change the sentence using talk someone out of something:
He convinced his colleague not to join the risky venture.
Answer
He talked his colleague out of joining the risky venture.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Negotiation Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
👥 Support Spaces
👉 Student Space
👉 Tutor Toolkit
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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