chatter

1 of 2

verb

chat·​ter ˈcha-tər 

chattered; chattering; chatters

intransitive verb

1

: to utter rapid short sounds suggestive of language but inarticulate and indistinct

squirrels chattered angrily

2

: to talk idly, incessantly, or fast

3

a

: to click repeatedly or uncontrollably

teeth chattering with cold

b

: to vibrate rapidly in cutting

a chattering tool

c

: to vibrate especially audibly as a consequence of repeated sticking and slipping

chattering brakes

transitive verb

: to utter rapidly, idly, or indistinctly

chatterer noun

chattery

ˈcha-tə-rē 

adjective

chatter

2 of 2

noun

1

: the action or sound of chattering

2

: idle talk : prattle

3

: electronic and especially radio communication between individuals engaged in a common or related form of activity

also : such chatter regarding future hostile activities

4

: a person who participates in online chat

Excite, Inc. … reports that users log a total of 7.5 to 8 million chat minutes on an average day. Half of online chatters are aged 18 to 34, and 15 percent are under age 17.

—Rebecca Piirto Heath

Synonyms

Verb

• babble
• blab
• cackle
• chaffer [British]
• chat
• chin [slang]
• converse
• gab
• gabble
• gas
• jabber
• jaw
• kibitz
• kibbitz
• natter
• palaver
• patter
• prate
• prattle
• rap
• rattle
• run on
• schmooze
• shmooze
• talk
• twitter
• visit

Noun

• backchat
• cackle
• causerie
• chat
• chin music
• chin-wag [slang]
• chitchat
• confab
• confabulation
• gab
• gabfest
• gossip
• jangle
• jaw
• natter [chiefly British]
• palaver
• patter
• rap
• schmooze
• small talk
• table talk
• talk
• tête-à-tête

Examples of chatter in a Sentence

Verb

Children chattered in the middle of the playground.

My teeth were chattering from the cold.

Birds chattered in the trees.

Noun

heard the chatter of squirrels

pleasant chatter over morning coffee

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This summer, while watching cornerback Marlon Humphrey press Ravens receivers with rejuvenated aggression and repeatedly intercepting passes from the NFL Most Valuable Player front-runner Lamar Jackson, players and coaches started to chatter. —Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024

And in Times Square, where a dense orchestra of honking horns, idling motors, chattering tourists, and voluble vendors can push sound levels north of 90 decibels, the song’s unmistakable tinny beat and pogoing piano loop manage to cut through the din. —Max Cea, Curbed, 17 Oct. 2024

Noun

The vibe of the evening is a slow crescendo, our chatter building to the point where three or four of us are simultaneously talking into our phones and thrusting them in front of one another, all with a remarkable sense of good cheer. —Joe Ray, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024

The world is filled with chatter about whether AI can fulfill its promise in delivering ROI to the enterprise. —R. Scott Raynovich, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chatteren, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chatter

• chatter mark

Kids Definition

chatter

verb

chat·​ter

ˈchat-ər

1

: to utter rapid meaningless sounds suggesting speech

squirrels chattered angrily

2

: to talk idly, continually, or rapidly

3

: to click again and again without control

teeth chattering

chatter noun

chatterer

ˈchat-ər-ər

noun

chattery

-ə-rē

adjective