small talk

See synonyms for small talk on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. light conversation; chitchat.

Origin of small talk

1
First recorded in 1745–55

Other words for small talk

Other definitions for small-talk (2 of 2)

small-talk
[ smawl-tawk ]

verb (used without object)
  1. to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

Origin of small-talk

2
First recorded in 1780–90

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for small talk

small talk

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with small talk

small talk

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]

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