uptalk

noun

up·​talk ˈəp-ˌtȯk 

variants or less commonly up-talk

: speech in which each clause, sentence, etc., ends like a question with a rising inflection

Starting in America with the Valley Girls of the 1980s …, uptalk became common among young women across the country by the 1990s.

—Douglas Quenqua, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2012

called also upspeak

uptalk intransitive verb

or less commonly up-talk

uptalked also up-talked; uptalking also up-talking; uptalks also up-talks

… girls in my high school who used to buy expensive sandwiches and uptalk.

—Amy Sohn, New York Post, 14 Sept. 1999

The road to job success starts after you study up on these 10 real-world work rules. … 2 Don't up-talk. Speaking in a singsong voice and posing statements as if they were questions leave you sounding girlie and unsure.

—Colleen Rush, Cosmopolitan, January 2006

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined above

The Ultimate Dicitonary Awaits

Expand your vocabulary and dive deeper into language with Merriam-Webster Unabridged.

1. Expanded definitions
2. Detailed etymologies
3. Advanced search tools
4. All ad-free

Discover what makes Merriam-Webster Unabridged the essential choice for true word lovers.

Start Your Free Trial Now