schmooze

American  

[shmooz] / ʃmuz /

Also shmooze sometimes schmoose

verb (used without object)

schmoozed, schmoozing

1. to chat idly; gossip.

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noun

1. idle conversation; chatter.

schmooze British  

/ ʃmuːz /

verb

1. (intr) to chat or gossip

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

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noun

1. a trivial conversation; chat

Other Word Forms

• schmoozer
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of schmooze

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; from Yiddish, verb use of schmues, from Hebrew shəmūʿōth “reports, gossip”

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Explanation

When you schmooze at a party, you chat with many different people. Being able to schmooze casually and confidently is a good quality in a hostess or a politician. If you say, "I just want to stop by the reception and schmooze for a little bit," it means you're going to see who's there and make smalltalk with various people. You might want to schmooze for fun, or take the opportunity to hand out your business card. You can call the conversation itself a schmooze too, and the word comes from the Yiddish shmuesn, "to chat" from shmues, "idle talk," with the Hebrew root shemu'oth, "rumors."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

schmooze schmoozed schmoozing

After 4 p.m., they have ample time to clean up their books, meet with co-workers, schmooze with clients, and grab some sleep.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025

Think of John Prescott's booming tones that connected with some voters and party members who didn't much like Tony Blair's silken schmooze.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025

“He was very much inclined not to schmooze so much as to explain and then expect people to understand and then act on it.”

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

With Congress on recess, both the House and Senate sent sizable delegations to the annual Munich Security Conference to schmooze with world leaders about the pressing global issues of the day.

From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2024

To close them, he needed to schmooze clients, and that required something he didn’t have.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2023

Actor Florence Pugh, Jaguar’s newly minted brand ambassador, schmoozed with design journalists, bloggers and online creators at a party later Tuesday to promote the Type 01.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Nominees across all 24 categories mingled and schmoozed before taking part in the traditional class photo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026

Upper middle-class scions who went to the right schools, schmoozed at the right parties, and waited their respective turns for their time in the spotlight.

From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2025

And it schmoozed the tech industry, sponsoring ski trips, conferences, industry newsletters and fancy dinners.

From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

At Tuesday's lunch, nominees including Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett schmoozed and posed for a group photo.

From Reuters ● Feb. 14, 2023

Top brokers walk the floors of countless buildings, swap insights over bad coffee, and turn years of schmoozing into multimillion-dollar commissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

There has been no shortage of schmoozing and warm words.

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

Just nine years ago, the documentary prankster John Wilson was here crashing on a couch and shooting a snarky short called “Escape From Park City” about his discomfort with its star-gazing and schmoozing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2026

But these members-only circles are more than expensive schmoozing — they're a business model, a status symbol and a growing part of the luxury market.

From Salon ● May 30, 2025

Either Muhammad is easily swayed by art mumbo jumbo or he wants to get back to schmoozing, because he begins backing up.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

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