chitchat

[chit-chat]

noun

1. light conversation; casual talk; gossip.

verb (used without object)

chitchatted, chitchatting 

1. to indulge in chitchat; gossip.

chitchat

/ ˈtʃɪtˌtʃæt /

noun

1. talk of a gossipy nature

verb

1. (intr) to gossip

Other Word Forms

• chitchatty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chitchat¹

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

Example Sentences

And since coverage in parks is rare—a tree sometimes—all the skaters usually huddle in the same shady place, making chitchat inevitable.

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Elsewhere, Robinson has become the poster boy for male social anxiety: the pariah who is so flummoxed by the rules of polite chitchat that he crosses the line and bursts into tears.

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After amicable chitchat, he asked why he never saw me around.

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She characterized those years in her autobiography as: “Desultory intellectual chitchat, drugs, hip aristocrats, languid dilettantes and high naughtiness. I knew I was on my path!”

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It was a beloved hangout where wife Helen served coffee and locals served up chitchat.

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Related Words

• gossip 
• small talk