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• small talk
  small talk

  noun

  light conversation; chitchat.
• small-talk
  small-talk

  verb (used without object)

  to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

small talk

¹ American  

noun

1. light conversation; chitchat.

   Synonyms:

   gossip, chatter, banter

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small-talk ² American  

[smawl-tawk] / ˈsmɔlˌtɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

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small talk British  

noun

1. light conversation for social occasions

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small talk Idioms  

1. Casual or trivial conversation, chitchat, as in We stood around making small talk until the guest of honor arrived. The small in this expression alludes to unimportant subjects of conversation, as opposed to serious or weighty ones. [Mid-1700s]

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Etymology

Origin of small talk¹

First recorded in 1745–55

Origin of small-talk²

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

small talk small-talk

The rapprochement usually starts out small, maybe with a text message here or there or small talk at a family event.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

The guy’s small talk was pretty standard, he recalls, but when the women declined to accompany him to another bar, “The switch-up was insane.”

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026

Some, the executive said, were using powerful premium-tier models to answer the simplest of questions, or just engage in small talk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Imagine if you’re a nominee, getting shuttled to and fro, shaking hands and making small talk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026

In their coded exchanges they had drawn close, but how artificial that closeness seemed now as they embarked on their small talk, their helpless catechism of polite query and response.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

You might save yourself from a life filled with small-talk with hired guns who were trained to speak to you in short sentences.

From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2025

You exchange some small-talk, maybe take a selfie, and we’re out.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2020

And when his session ended, Hinch rose from the table expressionlessly, avoiding the casual small-talk with reporters that has made him such a popular figure with both local and national media.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 10, 2019

I defaulted to the kind of small-talk schlock that generally flops with bus drivers and baristas.

From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2019

This is why Momly's the small-talk queen, and Uncle Tony's the cartoon character.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• blather
• chatter
• chitchat
• pleasantry