schmooze
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
(intr) to chat or gossip
-
(tr) to chat to (someone) for the purposes of self-promotion or to gain some advantage
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of schmooze
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; from Yiddish, verb use of schmues, from Hebrew shəmūʿōth “reports, gossip”
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."
Vocabulary lists containing schmooze
English Words Derived from Yiddish
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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.
See Examples For:
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
Later in the Illinois primary, Carter also showed that he could schmooze with powerful machine bosses, namely Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
“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
Wasserman schmoozed with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver at a reception at the Gagosian art gallery in Beverly Hills, according to attendees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026
"We were very successful in bringing legislators down, Democrats and Republicans, and I just sat outside in the tent and schmoozed with them," Schwarzenegger said.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2023
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
“People are ready to leave behind the isolation,” says an awards consultant who has schmoozed through the late-season events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2022
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
"I've lived on the East Coast and for many, many years with Michael, I've never been in LA schmoozing," she told People magazine.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 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
The kind of person he was before the bestselling memoir, the Netflix adaptation, the Silicon Valley schmoozing, and the political ascendency.
From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2024
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
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.
