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Synonyms

chitchat

American  
[chit-chat] / ˈtʃɪtˌtʃæt /

noun

  1. light conversation; casual talk; gossip.

verb (used without object)

chitchatted, chitchatting

  1. to indulge in chitchat; gossip.

chitchat British  
/ ˈtʃɪtˌtʃæt /

noun

  1. talk of a gossipy nature

"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

verb

  1. (intr) to gossip

"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 Word Forms

  • chitchatty adjective

Etymology

Origin of chitchat

First recorded in 1700–10; gradational compound based on chat

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.

“You’re walking down the road. You see a coffee spot, get some coffee. Then you chitchat and then keep walking and do the same thing all over and over again.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Why spend energy on casual chitchat when Viv was always ready to dive deep?

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

“We’re getting exercise, but also being able to chitchat afterwards and meet more book lovers.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2025

I knocked and walked into the room, starting with the usual idle chitchat.

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025

That attitude persisted as he was escorted to the table, made chitchat with the owner, and ordered his food.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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.