on speaking terms

prepositional phrase

Acquainted and friendly; in a state where salutations and general remarks can be comfortably exchanged.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. Acquainted and friendly; in a state where salutations and general remarks can be comfortably exchanged.

    Cap [Captain America] and I fell out hard. We're not on speaking terms.

    2018, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, Avengers: Infinity War (motion picture), spoken by Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)
    2 more examples

    [Shangai Lily:] I think you are right, if God is still on speaking terms with me. [Mr Carmichael:] God remains on speaking terms with everybody.

    1932, Jules Furthman, Shanghai Express

    Ms. [Gomotsang] Modibu considers herself to be on speaking terms with the animals she sees every day. She sees them as her colleagues.

    2017 August 22, Hillary Richard, “The Wonder Women of Botswana Safari”, in New York Times, archived from the original on 22 Aug 2017
Cite this entry
APA

on speaking terms. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20speaking%20terms

MLA

“on speaking terms.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20speaking%20terms. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on speaking terms,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20speaking%20terms.

Source: on speaking terms on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.