chitchat

noun

chit·​chat ˈchit-ˌchat How to pronounce chitchat (audio)
chitchat intransitive verb

Examples of chitchat in a Sentence

We exchanged some chitchat about the weather. a bit of chitchat over lunch with people we hadn't seen in a while
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Positioned near the far edge of the second row, not the alpha dog position that he is used to, Mr. Trump kept leaning over to speak to Mr. Obama, who smiled and indulged him in cordial chitchat. Peter Baker, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025 There was a time in the not-so-distant past when people knew their neighbors’ names, made polite chitchat with strangers, and believed in fostering community — so say your older relatives unprompted at every conceivable opportunity. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025 Hawkins makes this seem like a monumental spew of words rather than benign chitchat. Matthew Schnipper, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2025 These were among the points of pre-roundtable chitchat on a recent afternoon in West Hollywood when The Times gathered five musicians nominated for prizes at February’s 67th Grammy Awards. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chitchat 

Word History

Etymology

reduplication of chat

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chitchat was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near chitchat

Cite this Entry

“Chitchat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chitchat. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

chitchat

noun
chit·​chat ˈchit-ˌchat How to pronounce chitchat (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on chitchat

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