Palaver

Palaver, a noun often used in informal contexts, describes a prolonged and often unproductive discussion or negotiation, typically characterized by excessive talk, flattery, or diplomacy. It can imply a waste of time and effort, with little tangible progress being made. Frequently, palaver suggests a focus on appearances or social niceties over substantive action. It might also refer to a gathering or meeting held with a specific purpose, which is generally an informal conversation. palaver commonly conveys a sense of the speaker's weariness or impatience with the subject matter. The word may sometimes suggest deception or manipulative intent within the conversation.

Palaver meaning with examples

• The committee spent hours in endless palaver about the budget, debating trivial details while ignoring the critical deadline for project submission. The meeting was a complete waste of time. They wasted so much time debating rather than making any real decisions on the matters at hand and there was no clear path forward.
• After days of palaver with the car salesman, John finally walked away, feeling frustrated and no closer to a deal. The salesman spent all day selling him add-ons instead of giving a reasonable price for the car John wanted. He felt manipulated by their empty conversation and empty promises.
• The local leaders engaged in a lengthy palaver trying to reach a consensus about the new community center, but they failed. The talks were pointless; the conversations all turned political with no resolve. All that took place were the endless arguments and compromises in order to maintain a semblance of harmony.
• Instead of a direct approach, the politician preferred indulging in palaver, avoiding the hard questions that required definite commitments. The speeches, which could've been answered in one sentence, became 15 minutes long to avoid the hard questions.
• The company's internal memo stated that the meeting was going to be quick and efficient, but it went into hours of pointless palaver, without a clear goal or outcome. All the presentations and talk were unnecessary; nothing productive came of it.