all talk and no action

noun

Speaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little; overpromising, but underdelivering.

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Meanings

nounall talk and no action (uncountable)

alternative all talk, no action

  1. informaluncountableSpeaking, promising, or boasting much, but doing little; overpromising, but underdelivering.

    We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action—constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

    2017 January 20, Donald Trump, Inauguration Speech
    1 more example

    Well, you need somebody, because politicians are all talk, no action. Nothing's gonna get done. They will not bring us—believe me—to the promised land. They will not.

    2015 June 16, Donald Trump, “Transcript: Donald Trump announces his presidential candidacy”, in CBS News

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
all garnish and no meatall icing, no cakeall sing, no danceall sizzle and no steakall talk and trousersall talk, no showall wax and no wicknato

Translations

Afrikaans meer bek as binnegoed
  • meer bek as binnegoedidiom
Catalan molt soroll i poques nous
  • molt soroll i poques nousidiom
Chinese 光說不做 /光说不做, 只說不做 /只说不做
  • 光說不做 /光说不做 (guāngshuōbùzuò)idiom
  • 只說不做 /只说不做 (zhǐshuōbùzuò)idiom
  • 光說不幹 /光说不干 (guāngshuōbùgān)idiom
  • 耍嘴皮子 (shuǎ zuǐpízi)idiom
  • 雷声大，雨点小 (léishēng dà, yǔdiǎn xiǎo)idiom
  • 雷聲大，雨點小 /雷声大，雨点小 (léishēngdà, yǔdiǎnxiǎo)idiom
Dutch veel geschreeuw en weinig wol
  • veel geschreeuw en weinig wolidiom
Finnish paljon puhetta ilman tekoja
  • paljon puhetta ilman tekojaidiom
Hebrew דיבורים כמו חול ואין מה לאכול
  • דיבורים כמו חול ואין מה לאכולidiom
Indonesian omong doang
  • omong doangidiom
Italian tutto fumo e niente arrosto, tanto fumo e poco arrosto
  • tutto fumo e niente arrostoidiom
  • tanto fumo e poco arrostoidiom
Māori he kōrero i pahawa, hōhonu waha - pāpaku uaua
  • he kōrero i pahawaidiom
  • hōhonu waha - pāpaku uauaidiom
Polish krowa, która dużo ryczy, mało mleka daje
  • krowa, która dużo ryczy, mało mleka dajeidiom
Spanish mucho hablar y poco hacer, mucho ruido y pocas nueces
  • mucho hablar y poco haceridiom
  • mucho ruido y pocas nuecesidiom
  • mucho lerele y poco laralaidiom
Swedish Mycket snack och lite verkstad.
  • Mycket snack och lite verkstad.idiom
Cite this entry
APA

all talk and no action. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20talk%20and%20no%20action

MLA

“all talk and no action.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20talk%20and%20no%20action. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “all talk and no action,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20talk%20and%20no%20action.

Source: all talk and no action on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.