schmooze

[shmooz]Slang.

See more synonyms for schmooze on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), schmoozed, schmooz·ing.

to chat idly; gossip.

noun

idle conversation; chatter.

Also schmoose, schmoos.

Origin of schmooze

1895–1900, Americanism; < Yiddish, v. use of schmues < Hebrew shəmūʿōth reports, gossip

Related formsschmooz·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for schmooze

mingle, associate, meet, hobnob, circulate, schmooze, commune, use, yak, chat, parley, chitchat, exchange, confer, discourse, rap, gab, speak, chatter, palaver

Examples from the Web for schmooze

Contemporary Examples of schmooze

I was impressed at the time to hear Biden schmooze with Maliki as if he were the governor of Delaware.
Exposed: The White House’s Professor-in-Chief
Jonathan Alter
October 8, 2014
A riveting talk, a meet and greet and schmooze with campus media.
Here's What Cory Booker Planned To Do In Iowa
Ben Jacobs
July 31, 2013
Cory would come over several times a week to schmooze and cook ‘kosher soul food’ to which he and I invited many students.
Peter Beinart’s Bias Against Me, Cory Booker, and Israel
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
June 14, 2013
But a part of me feels like you should stay in Los Angeles to schmooze with A-grade celebrities and pee alongside Jack Nicholson.
David Beckham to Paris: Why Soccer Star Should Stay in Los Angeles
Eric Pape
December 24, 2011
For dinner and a movie, head to CineBistro for a little booze with your schmooze.
Vail, Colorado: Skier's Paradise
Jolie Hunt
January 15, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for schmooze

schmooze

verb

(intr) to chat or gossip
(tr) to chat to (someone) for the purposes of self-promotion or to gain some advantage

noun

a trivial conversation; chat

Word Origin for schmooze

Yiddish, from schmues a chat, from Hebrew shemuoth reports

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for schmooze

also shmooze, "to chat intimately," 1897, from Yiddish shmuesn "to chat," from shmues "idle talk, chat," from Hebrew shemu'oth "news, rumors." As a noun from 1939. Related: Schmoozed; schmoozing. Schmoozer is from 1909.