Small Talk Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms small talk 1 American

noun

1. light conversation; chitchat.

   Synonyms: gossip, chatter, banter

small-talk 2 American [smawl-tawk] / ˈsmɔlˌtɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

small talk British

noun

1. light conversation for social occasions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 small talk Idioms

1. Casual or trivial conversation, chitchat, as in We stood around making small talk until the guest of honor arrived. The small in this expression alludes to unimportant subjects of conversation, as opposed to serious or weighty ones. [Mid-1700s]

Etymology

Origin of small talk1

First recorded in 1745–55

Origin of small-talk2

First recorded in 1780–90

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.

We make small talk all the way home.

From Literature

The retailer's attempt to humanise its chat bot may have backfired, as some users said that Olive was "obnoxious," while another said that they found its small talk "aggravating."

From BBC

The small talk of a taxi ride is the beating heart of British chit-chat - a soundtrack to thousands of journeys across London and beyond.

From BBC

But the old tree doesn’t bother much with small talk, so I moved on with my business.

From Literature

The 44-year-old listened to her colleagues’ speeches and those of other hopefuls, made small talk with fellow members and then left.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blather
• chatter
• chitchat
• pleasantry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.