conversation pit

American  

noun

1. a usually sunken portion of a room or living area with chairs, sofas, etc., often grouped around a fireplace, where people can gather to talk.

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Example Sentences

Look out for the “Ascending…” capsule collection, available exclusively at the showroom, or lounge in the platformed conversation pit to contemplate reality.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2025

Inside, a sunken conversation pit is anchored by a floor-to-ceiling fireplace under whitewashed beams.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2023

Sitting alone in a conversation pit signified an absence; sitting alone on a sectional sofa, which could, theoretically, quickly convert back to conversational furniture, didn’t make us feel quite so lonely.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2022

Television sets became mainstream fixtures in American homes by the latter half of the 20th century, and living rooms started being built around them, quickly making obsolete the conversation pit and its purpose.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 15, 2022

It was one of several arranged in a sunken conversation pit.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Schwartau, Winn