definitions

small-talk

[ smawl-tawk ]
/ ˈsmɔlˌtɔk /
||

verb (used without object)

to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

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RELATED WORDS

chitchat, blather, chatter, pleasantry, babble, blab, chat, conversation, gab, gossip, jabber, prattle, yakking

Nearby words

small-claims court, small-minded, small-saver certificate, small-scale, small-scale integration, small-talk, small-time, small-town, smallage, smallboy, smallclothes

Origin of small-talk

First recorded in 1780–90

Definition for small-talk (2 of 2)

small talk

noun

light conversation; chitchat.

Origin of small talk

First recorded in 1745–55
SYNONYMS FOR small talk
banter, chatter, gossip.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for small-talk

British Dictionary definitions for small-talk

small talk

noun

light conversation for social occasions
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

Idioms and Phrases with small-talk

small talk

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]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.