talks past
Speaks without connecting
To talk past someone is to fail to communicate meaningfully despite exchanging words—each person addressing different points or operating from different assumptions.
They talked past each other for an hour without resolving anything.
The phrase suggests parallel lines that never intersect: both parties speak, but neither engages with what the other actually means.
- ignoreRefuse to notice
- deaf earsUnwillingness to hear
- overlookMiss or commanding view
- disregardWillful lack of attention
- not listeningFailing to attend
misalignment · defensiveness · shuts down · unheard · miscommunication · misunderstanding · lost in translation · discussed · spoke · steamroll · framing effect · chatted · projection · selective attention · conversed · mental models · incomprehension · dismiss
talks pastunderstands
Mentally grasps meaning
hears · reaches · acknowledges · takes in · bridges the gap
talks pasttakes in
Accepts or deceives
attends to · picks up on · receives · registers · absorbs
talk, talks, talked, talking, talker, talkers, talkative, past, pasts