palaver

Meaning

Noun

1. (Africa, countable, uncountable) A village council meeting.
2. (Canada, US, archaic, countable, uncountable) Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter.
3. (British, countable, uncountable) Mentally draining activity, either physical or fuss.
4. (countable, uncountable) A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot.
5. (countable, informal, uncountable) Disagreement.
6. (countable, uncountable) Talk intended to deceive.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To discuss with much talk.
2. (transitive) To flatter.

Synonyms

chatter

gabble

prate

prattle

twaddle

blabber

gibber

piffle

clack

tattle

maunder

tittle-tattle

wheedle

blarney

sweet-talk

coax

matter

blab

conference

gab

inveigle

cajole

empty talk

blandishment

blather

cajolery

discussion

hot air

jabber

parley

patter

rhetoric

talk

🗣️

tittle tattle

babble

empty words

flatter

conversation

mumble

negotiate

negotiation

yapp

parleyvoo

consult

pleach

confer

claptrap

prevail

rattle

babblement

Translations

Palaver

palabres

conversazione

palabre

persuadere

pohpohlama

yaltaklanmak

διαπραγμάτευση

xerrameca

amadouer

discussione

φλυαρώ

charlar

palavra

أطلق أصواتا

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/

Etymology

Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“word”), from Late Latin parabola (“parable, speech”). The term's use (especially in Africa) mimics the evolution of the word moot. As such, for sense development, see moot. Doublet of parable, parole, and parabola.