small-talk

[ smawl-tawk ]

/ ˈsmɔlˌtɔk /

verb (used without object)

to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

Nearby words

Origin of small-talk

First recorded in 1780–90

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

Here he was, keeping up a hateful clatter of small-talk, while her heart was aching with suspense.
The American Baron|James De Mille
A rare invitation to luncheon, a permission to call at the sacred hour of small-talk—this was all she could hope for.
New Grub Street|George Gissing
He knew how to beat out the faintest shred of an idea into an illimitable surface of small-talk.
The American Baron|James De Mille
I can't accustom myself to small-talk—I can't even listen to it patiently.
One Day|Anonymous

Does she turn you if you have failed to learn your small-talk correctly?
Mr. Punch In Society|Various

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]