small talk

noun

: light or casual conversation : chitchat

Examples of small talk in a Sentence

They made small talk while waiting for the meeting to start. at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
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.
The idea of enjoying the holiday outside, instead of spending it indoors cooking and making small talk with distant relatives, sounded appealing. Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 17 Nov. 2024 Matching on an app and exchanging small talk indefinitely won’t push you across that threshold. Allie Volpe, Vox, 14 Nov. 2024 Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires (2017) Few manage the one-way small talk during tuning changes as effortlessly as Jason Isbell. Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2024 Traditional networking heavily relies on small talk. Ludmila Praslova, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for small talk 

Word History

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of small talk was in 1650

Dictionary Entries Near small talk

Cite this Entry

“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/small%20talk. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

small talk

noun
: light or informal conversation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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