pep talk

noun

: a usually brief, intense, and emotional talk designed to influence or encourage an audience

Examples of pep talk in a Sentence

The coach gave the team a pep talk before the game. She needs a pep talk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The event was part town hall, part catharsis, part pep talk. Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2025 That’s the pep talk a Secret Service agent gave me on a recent Monday morning. Randi Braun, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 This is why coaches give teams final pep talks before big games and big moments. George Bradt, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 But Sam receives a pep talk from the Winter Soldier himself, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and understands that the presidential assassination was the result of mind control, orchestrated by The Leader, one of the Hulk’s greatest antagonists from the comics. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pep talk

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pep talk was in 1913

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pep talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pep%20talk. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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