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Synonyms

chat

1 American  
[chat] / tʃæt /

verb (used without object)

chatted, chatting

  1. to converse in a familiar or informal manner.

    Synonyms:
    visit, gossip, chitchat, talk

  2. Digital Technology. to participate with one or more people, through the internet, in a real-time conversation, typically as a series of short text exchanges in a specific application, as instant messaging, or by using images, voice, video, or some combination of these.

    The kids were able to chat with their grandma online.

    Join our online community to chat about TV shows.

noun

  1. an informal conversation.

    We had a pleasant chat.
    Synonyms:
    visit, gossip, chitchat, talk

  2. Digital Technology. a real-time conversation between two or more people over the internet or another computer network.

    Join our free video chat. Have a live chat with one of our customer service representatives.

  3. any of several small Old World thrushes, especially of the genus Saxicola, having a chattering cry.

  4. yellow-breasted chat.

adjective

  1. Digital Technology. noting or relating to an online chat.

    a chat session.

verb phrase

  1. chat up

    1. to talk flirtatiously with.

    2. to talk to in a friendly, open way.

Chât. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. (especially in Bordeaux wines) Château.

chat 1 British  
/ tʃæt /

noun

  1. informal conversation or talk conducted in an easy familiar manner

  2. the exchange of messages in an internet or other network chatroom

  3. any Old World songbird of the subfamily Turdinae (thrushes, etc) having a harsh chattering cry See also stonechat whinchat

  4. any of various North American warblers, such as Icteria virens ( yellow-breasted chat )

  5. any of various Australian wrens (family Muscicapidae ) of the genus Ephthianura and other genera

"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. to talk in an easy familiar way

  2. to exchange messages in a chatroom

"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
chat 2 British  
/ tʃæt /

noun

  1. archaic a catkin, esp a willow catkin

"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

  • chattable adjective

Etymology

Origin of chat

First recorded in 1400–50; (verb) late Middle English chatt(e); short for chatter

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.

She said everyday issues, such as disputes over parking spaces, are still being discussed on a WhatsApp chat using VPN.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Jane uses it to chat with her mother at least once an episode.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In an interview on the chat show Anderson On The Box in 1995, Dunbar said the bodybuilder had great charisma.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Observing her easy chat with the bartender about drinks is fun, as I appreciate people who are curious about options and details.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Barry couldn’t walk half a block without someone shouting hello from a porch and waving him up for a chat and a glass of iced tea.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

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.