palaver

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palaver

/pəˈlɑː.və(ɹ)/ UK

Rhymes with -ɑːvə(ɹ)

Where it comes from

Originally nautical slang, from Portuguese palavra (“word”), from Late Latin parabola (“parable, speech”). The term's use (especially in Africa) mimics the evolution of the word moot. As such, for sense development, see moot. Doublet of parable, parole, and parabola.

noun palavers

Africa, countable, uncountable A village council meeting. Here we remained four days, on account of a palaver which was held on the following occasion.
Canada, US, archaic, countable, uncountable, in Britain Talk, especially unnecessary talk; chatter. Frances pulled his hair heartily, and then went and seated herself on her husband’s knee, and there they were, like two babies, kissing and talking nonsense by the hour—foolish palaver that we should be ashamed of.
Similar: hot air, babble, bavardage, bibble-babble, blab, blabber, blabbing, blather, blathering, chatter, chinwag, chit-chat
UK, countable, uncountable Mentally draining activity, either physical or fuss. What a palaver!
Similar: ado, bother, argy-bargy, bangarang, bobbery, brouhaha, bunfight, bustle, bust-up, chaos, ferment, clamour
countable, uncountable A meeting at which there is much talk; a debate; a moot. this country and epoch of parliaments and eloquent palavers
countable, informal, uncountable Disagreement. I have no palaver with him.
Similar: conflict, quarrel, argument, argy-bargy, altercation, contention, barney, bawl out, blue, bobbery, brawl, clash
countable, uncountable Talk intended to deceive.
Similar: doublespeak, double talk

verb palavers · palavering · palavered

intransitive To discuss with much talk. “Come, come, Captain Bildad; stop palavering,—away!” and with that, Peleg hurried him over the side, and both dropt into the boat.
Similar: jabber, rabbit, yak, babble, bat the breeze, blab, blabber, blather, carp, chat, chatter, chew the fat
transitive To flatter. Dodd never spoke to his officers like a ruffian, nor yet palavered them.
Similar: jolly, puff, brush up to, collogue, flatter, flatterize, glaver, gloze, lay it on thick, make fair weather, palaver, preen

Translations

Every language

noun meeting with much talk

Français	palabre
Deutsch	Palaver
Русский	до́лгие перегово́ры dólgije peregovóry

noun unnecessary talk, chatter

Español	parla
Português	palavreado, paleio
Français	palabres
Deutsch	Palaver
Italiano	storie
Русский	пу́стая болтовня́ pústaja boltovnjá, пра́здная болтовня́ prázdnaja boltovnjá

noun mentally-draining activity

Русский	геморрой gemorroj

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Cite this

MLA

"palaver." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/palaver. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

palaver. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/palaver

Chicago

"palaver." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/palaver.

BibTeX

@misc{palaver_2026,
  title = {palaver},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/palaver},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}