small talk

noun

Definition of small talknext
as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of small talk What began as awkward small talk with strangers quickly becomes conversations with like-minded people. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Frazier said that the woman was known to frequently walk around the neighborhood sparking up small talk. — Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 My driver appeared like a normal woman attempting to make small talk. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026 That’s how this dinner kicks off, after a minuscule, benign moment of small talk between him and Georgia. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
  1. chat
  2. talk
  3. chatter
  4. table talk
Noun
  • The show featured chats with guests and Christian entertainers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In chat logs between him and the other individuals, Tate allegedly shared these videos, and bragged about his apparent control over her.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of chat
Noun
  • The meeting came as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran have yet to yield meaningful progress.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The mathematician Ken Ono, who left academia for an AI start-up called Axiom Math, was scheduled to give a talk.
    — Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of talk
Noun
  • As for the constant chatter about the unwelcome safety tech, Roma said the objections may be exaggerated.
    — Morgan Korn, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Instead, as far as endings for superhero stories go, Episode 8 has a lot of chatter.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of chatter
Noun
  • When the table talk turns political, Hagains suggests shifting your approach instead of your mood.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.
    — Jessica Booth, Parents, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of table talk

Browse Nearby Words

smallswords
small talk
small-time
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inscrutable

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All