talk over someone's head

verb

To communicate something beyond the level of comprehension of the target.

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Meanings

verbtalk over someone's head (third-person singular simple present talks over someone's head, present participle talking over someone's head, simple past and past participle talked over someone's head)

present singular third person talks over someone's head · participle present talking over someone's head · participle past talked over someone's head · past talked over someone's head

  1. idiomaticTo communicate something beyond the level of comprehension of the target.

    NASA was often accused of talking over the public's head.

    2001, Dan Brown, Deception Point, Pocket Books, →ISBN
Cite this entry
APA

talk over someone's head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talk%20over%20someone's%20head

MLA

“talk over someone's head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talk%20over%20someone's%20head. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “talk over someone's head,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/talk%20over%20someone's%20head.

Source: talk over someone's head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.