natter
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nattersimple
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natterssimple
-
have natteredperfect
-
has natteredperfect
-
am natteringprogressive
-
are natteringprogressive
-
is natteringprogressive
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have been natteringperfect progressive
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has been natteringperfect progressive
Past
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natteredsimple
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had natteredperfect
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was natteringprogressive
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were natteringprogressive
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had been natteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of natter
First recorded in 1820–30; variant of earlier gnatter < ?
Explanation
To natter is to talk at length about unimportant things. When you feel a little awkward and uncomfortable at a party, you might natter to the one person you know there for far too long. To natter is to chatter or blather or jabber — you don't natter about serious or deep topics. If you gossip with your neighbor for a few minutes, you can say that you natter. And, if you chat with your best friend on the phone in a lighthearted way, you also natter. Natter comes from the northern England dialect gnatter, "chatter," and also "grumble." Earlier, it meant, "nibble away."
Vocabulary lists containing natter
Chains
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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.
For the fans in need of a good old-fashioned British boozer to natter away in all night, they're satisfied at the Quayside.
From BBC • Oct. 26, 2025
The other ladies who gather to knit and natter in her small English village thought the ears should be bigger.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2023
While politicians natter, markets move on as individuals and organizations chart their own courses.
From Fox News • Oct. 1, 2020
The leaves natter even if you can’t see them.
From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2016
They worked in the kitchen under Alice, who preferred assistants who were disinclined to natter all day, to better hear her own voice.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
