chat up
Britishverb
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to talk flirtatiously to (a person), esp with the intention of seducing him or her
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to talk persuasively to (a person), esp with an ulterior motive
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Talk flirtatiously to, as in Leave it to Charlie to chat up the girls . This usage is mostly but not entirely British. [Late 1800s]
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Engage in light, friendly talk, as in He was soon chatting up all the board members . [Mid-1900s]
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.
It’s a place where people pause to chat up strangers on oak-and-magnolia-draped streets, a place where boutiques sell smocked baby dresses and shirts with phrases such as “Pearls Are Always Appropriate.”
From Slate • May 4, 2026
She paused to chat up street vendors hawking raspados and hot dogs, encouraging them as well, as she handed out fliers.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2023
The Florida governor sidled into a booth to chat up a pair of newlyweds.
From Reuters • Jul. 31, 2023
Cellphones do not need to be switched to airplane mode, so you can chat up the groundlings below.
From Washington Post • Nov. 28, 2022
Or maybe find a teacher to chat up.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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.
