pep talknoun [ C ] uk ​ /ˈpep ˌtɔːk/ us ​ /ˈpep ˌtɑːk/. › a short speech intended to encourage people to work harder or try to win a game or competition: The boss gave the staff a pep talk this morning in an attempt to boost sales. Thesaurus: synonyms and related words. Encouraging and urging on.