chitchat
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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chitchatsimple
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chitchatssimple
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have chitchattedperfect
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has chitchattedperfect
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am chitchattingprogressive
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are chitchattingprogressive
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is chitchattingprogressive
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have been chitchattingperfect progressive
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has been chitchattingperfect progressive
Past
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chitchattedsimple
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had chitchattedperfect
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was chitchattingprogressive
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were chitchattingprogressive
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had been chitchattingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Now, generational analysis seems to be everywhere; from TV comedies like Hacks and Only Murders in the Building, to office-place chitchat.
From BBC ● May 17, 2026
“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
The next two hours were filled with chitchat in between sets: Nicole’s end-of-school-year frenzy, Rich’s musician thoughts about those sweet drum riffs and where we should all go to grab a bite after.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025
Why spend energy on casual chitchat when Viv was always ready to dive deep?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025
Their chitchat goes deeper, and as they talk, Jo’s heart, numb no longer, opens up to Theo.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Usually these World Cup chitchats start with silly icebreakers before the important stuff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
“She’s outgoing, liberal, kind, chitchats a lot, really supportive of her kids’ sports team, goes to everything, she and her husband.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2018
They also were true events, shows that moved along as entertainment spectacles rather than James Lipton-esque chitchats.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2011
Porter said that she’d ridden the House subway with Lee just the day before and that they’d chitchatted amiably.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2023
As opposed to the prayer service, where congregants prayed using different prayer books, at different paces and chitchatted throughout, Kasich received a polite welcome.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 16, 2016
“It went really good up at Adidas today,” West told Kardashian, and they chitchatted for a minute like any married couple.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2015
We chitchatted, I think I said something about liking Blogging the Bible, but then David looked at me and said: “Wait, you're last name is Krule? You must get made fun of all the time.”
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2014
We chitchatted a bit and I left, and on the way home I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
We were chitchatting a bit about it with some other relatives before the topic changed, but I was fascinated by the ease and simplicity of this approach versus the "classic" technique.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2023
Instead of chitchatting while fishing for both your checkbook and a pen to write on, please just swipe a debit card or pay cash while having your money ready.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 11, 2022
At one point, engrossed in chitchatting, I barely noticed that I had clipped through a wall, skipping a section of a level altogether.
From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2021
Swanning around the art world, chitchatting with pensively folded arms and serving up airy pronouncements to artists, dealers, consultants and others, Morf effortlessly changes his spots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2019
Her bracelets jingled as the kids stopped chitchatting and took their seats.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
