Talky

The adjective 'talky' describes something characterized by excessive or unnecessary dialogue. It often refers to a play, film, book, or other narrative work where the emphasis is placed more on conversation than on action, visual spectacle, or plot development. A talky piece might be filled with long speeches, verbose exchanges, or dialogue that feels unnatural or exposition-heavy, often slowing the pace and potentially diminishing the audience's engagement if the conversations are not engaging or critical to the narrative. The term carries a subtly negative connotation, suggesting a potential lack of visual dynamism or a reliance on lengthy conversations to carry the story.

Talky meaning with examples

• The first act of the play was incredibly talky, filled with endless monologues that dragged the plot. I wished for some action instead of so much exposition. The characters felt less developed by the conversation, and more like a device to push the scene. I'm hoping the second act has more to offer!
• The director was warned that the script was too talky. The editing team tried to streamline the conversation to help keep viewers engaged. The studio felt that the project would lose money with the unnecessary scenes. The decision caused stress during post-production.
• Some critics felt the new science fiction film was a bit talky in places, favoring complex discussions about the universe's fate over special effects. The narrative spent too much time explaining itself to the audience. They wanted more adventure and less intellectual debates about time travel!
• The novel suffered from a talky style, with lengthy descriptions of characters' thoughts and motivations filling pages. Dialogue-driven scenes slowed the story down. I found myself skimming many of the pages, hoping for a more fast-paced journey. The author could have trimmed some of the text.
• My friends found the play talky; there wasn't enough going on visually. Even I found the conversations distracting from the actors' performances. I felt disconnected from the story because of the words. The stage needed more design to complement the conversations.