talk trash

present singular third person talks trash · participle present talking trash · participle past talked trash · past talked trash

1. idiomaticslangTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.

   Synonyms: slander, talk shit, trash-talk, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul

2. idiomaticslangTo speak boastfully or tauntingly about oneself in contrast with another person or other people.

   1 more example

   "If there's one Celtic that tries to talk smack to me, it will be Paul (Pierce)," Kobe reported. "We're similar in age, have been through some of the same things, so he feels like he can try. But he's not as good at it as I am. I don't talk trash often, but when I do, I go for the jugular." [...] "(Today's younger players) don't seem to want to talk any trash," Kobe shrugged. "I say everything to LeBron. He says nothing back. He just laughs. There's no banter back and forth. I guess it's a generational thing. When I first came into the league, the trash talk was downright cutthroat."

   February 6, 2013, Jackie MacMullan, article: Kobe Bryant Dishes on Celtics, ESPN online

   Synonyms: brag, talk smack