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Conversation I Topic Long Girl Turned Make Telephone

Word conversation
WordType (noun)
Phonetic BrE / ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃn / NAmE / ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃn /
Example
  • a telephone conversation
  • i had a long conversation with her the other day.
  • the main topic of conversation was the likely outcome of the election.
  • don was deep in conversation with the girl on his right.
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Content

conversation

(noun)BrE / ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃn / NAmE / ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃn /
  1. an informal talk involving a small group of people or only two; the activity of talking in this way
    • a telephone conversation
    • I had a long conversation with her the other day.
    • The main topic of conversation was the likely outcome of the election.
    • Don was deep in conversation with the girl on his right.
    • to get into conversation with somebody
    • to get into a conversation with somebody
    • The conversation turned to gardening.
    • I tried to make conversation (= to speak in order to appear polite).
    • Desperately he struggled to keep the conversation going.
    • I see no point in continuing this conversation.
    • She tried to steer the conversation away from the topic of marriage.
    • He felt a sudden alarm at the turn the conversation was taking.
    • Discussions are still taking place between the two leaders.
    • a telephone conversation
    • The novel has long descriptions and not much dialogue.
    • The President told waiting reporters there had been a constructive dialogue.
    • I had a long talk with my boss about my career prospects.
    • a debate on prison reform
    • There have been extensive consultations between the two countries.
    • I just called in for a chat about the kids.
    • We had a good gossip about the boss.
    • Do you mind if I sit here?
    • Hello, is this seat taken?
    • May I join you? Can I get you a coffee?
    • Lovely weather we’re having!/Can you believe this rain/wind/cold/sunshine?
    • Excuse me, could I ask you a question?
    • Shall we make a start? I think it's almost three o'clock.
    • Shall we get started? I'd like to introduce our speaker.
    • I think everyone's here, so I'd like to welcome you to this conference.

    Extra Examples

    • A chance conversation led to a brilliant new career for the young student.
    • All conversation ceased and everyone turned around.
    • All too soon the stilted conversation ran dry.
    • Cara kept up a one-sided conversation.
    • Don was in close conversation with the girl on his right.
    • During the course of conversation, it emerged that Sheila had lived in Nigeria.
    • He said that television had been the death of good conversation.
    • He tried to steer the conversation away from the topic of money.
    • He was waiting for her to open the conversation.
    • I got into a conversation with Chris about UFOs.
    • I got into conversation with one of the directors.
    • I had an interesting conversation with Dick Wortley.
    • I managed to bring the conversation around to why they were leaving.
    • I overheard snatches of a conversation between two doctors.
    • I recall a conversation in which he told me he would never leave Paris.
    • I tried to make conversation with the three people around the table.
    • I was courteous but didn’t encourage conversation.
    • I was keen to strike up a conversation with him.
    • In the Western world it is polite to maintain eye contact during conversation.
    • In the programme tonight we hear Dr Chris Toole in conversation with the artist Mary Witherspoon.
    • It’s not a subject that often crops up in casual conversation.
    • Our hostess did her best to keep the conversation going.
    • Police taped the conversation.
    • She avoided conversation with the other passengers.
    • She could hear him over the buzz of conversation and laughter.
    • She ignored all my attempts at conversation.
    • She turned the conversation to her work.
    • The book became an instant best-seller and topic of water-cooler conversation.
    • The conversation drifted away from babies.
    • The conversation drifted into family chat.
    • The conversation ended when the vacuum cleaner started up.
    • The conversation moved on to other things.
    • The conversation proceeded in French.
    • The conversation turned to holidays in France.
    • The main topic of conversation was the big football match.
    • The two of you need to have a face-to-face conversation.
    • There is an ongoing conversation in society about how we raise our children.
    • There was no time for a proper conversation.
    • They all relaxed and conversation flowed freely.
    • They were deep in conversation and didn’t notice the time.
    • Think of prayer as a two-way conversation.
    • We carried on a rather awkward conversation.
    • We engaged in a long conversation.
    • We had a long conversation about old cars.
    • We had to listen to endless conversations about high prices and food shortages.
    • We sat making polite conversation and feeling rather uncomfortable.
    • When I tried to engage him in conversation, she always interrupted.
    • When did this conversation take place?
    • When you are struggling with an unfamiliar language, the simplest conversations can be misinterpreted.
    • You can’t hold a private conversation there.
    • Young children become quickly bored by adult conversation.
    • a conversation between Jane and her parents
    • a conversation on the topic of activities for children
    • a plain girl who had no conversation and no social graces
    • listening to endless conversations about high prices and food shortages
    • He struggled to keep the conversation going.
    • I got into a conversation with a man on the bus.
    • I tried to make polite conversation.

    Word Origin

    • Middle English (in the sense ‘living among, familiarity, intimacy’): via Old French from Latin conversatio(n-), from the verb conversari ‘keep company (with)’, from con- ‘with’ + versare, frequentative of vertere ‘to turn’.
Copyright This card's content is collected from the following dictionaries: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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