Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions
Trivia Time
In which popular book series did characters frequently "hold palaver," reviving the archaic word?

palaver

[puh-lav-er, -lah-ver] / pəˈlæv ər, -ˈlɑ vər /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The facts expose that claim as just so much palaver.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Kéré’s strong affinity for his native land informs his practice — he references local symbols like the baobab or palaver tree; a traditional blue boubou garment he wore as a child.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

I want to get palaver into a song, too.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2021

Perhaps one upside of the palaver is that Radnor residents have become more politically engaged.

From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2021

"It's been quite pleasant, our little palaver, sir," I said.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

He did not just excavate the ethos of Africa from bygone times, he also reflected the present: bringing to life everyone from the politicians to the prostitutes, and prophesied the palavers that were to come.

From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2020

A girl palavers with a strange man with a tie on his head.

From Washington Post ● May 25, 2017

A minor palaver ensued, prolonged as much as possible by the sort of internet crusaders who devote their lives to prolonging minor palavers.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 10, 2012

An exception was that since Soviet Russia is not a Locarno Pact signatory, Foreign Minister Maxim Maximovich Litvinoff was not directly in on the Locarno palavers.

From Time Magazine Archive

Carlylean depredators of Parliament decried the value of workmen possessing "a hundred thousandth part in the national palavers."

From Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 2 (of 2) by George Jacob Holyoake

Eons ago, in the dark ages of video stores, adventurers navigated labyrinthine aisles and palavered with part-time archmaesters to find treasured artifacts of the fantasy film genre.

From The Verge ● Jun. 2, 2018

In the back country, often carried in a hammock, the traditional mode of travel for Liberian VIPs, he palavered endlessly with jungle chiefs.

From Time Magazine Archive

All week long, under giant camelthorn trees at Serowe, thatched-hut capital of the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland in South Africa, the tar-black chieftains of the Bamangwato tribe pondered and palavered.

From Time Magazine Archive

Den Brer Fox en Brer Wolf dey sorter palavered on, dey did, twel bimeby Brer Wolf he up'n say dat he done got plan fix fer ter trap Brer Rabbit.

From Uncle Remus, his songs and his sayings by Joel Chandler Harris

At any rate, surely, they palavered Jack betune them until he sot down and consinted.

From The Ned M'Keown Stories Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of William Carleton, Volume Three by William Carleton

Such palavering is wasted time for a woman facing a literal deadline.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2023

Mr. Suh’s preoccupation is with the construction and collapse of identity, which we witness both in the Charlie Chan scenes and in those that feature Frank and his friends rehearsing and palavering.

From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2015

Fifteen months ago, the Central broke off merger talks with the Pennsylvania, the biggest U.S. railroad, after palavering for 14 months without agreement.

From Time Magazine Archive

While palavering with Jack Paar before millions of viewers not long ago, Georgie went on and on about his watch, a Bulova.

From Time Magazine Archive

Vaguely aware that treachery was impending, but crazed now by the falling mangoes, Peters left them palavering and followed the trail.

From Golden Stories A Selection of the Best Fiction by the Foremost Writers by Various




Vocabulary lists containing palaver


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training