schmooze

¹schmooze

verb \ˈshmüz\

schmoozed or shmoozedschmooz·ing or shmooz·ing

Definition of SCHMOOZE

intransitive verb

: to converse informally : chat; also : to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections

transitive verb

: to engage in schmoozing with <she schmoozed her professors>

— schmooz·er \ˈshmü-zər\ noun

Variants of SCHMOOZE

schmooze or shmooze \ˈshmüz\

Examples of SCHMOOZE

1. People will have time to schmooze during the cocktail hour.
2. <spent every spare minute of the conference schmoozing with the industry's power players>

Origin of SCHMOOZE

Yiddish shmuesn, from schmues talk, from Hebrew shĕmu'ōth news, rumor

First Known Use: 1884

Related to SCHMOOZE

Synonyms

babble, blab, cackle, chaffer [British], chatter, chin [slang], converse, gab, gabble, gas, jabber, jaw, kibitz (also kibbitz), natter, palaver, patter, prate, prattle, rap, rattle, run on, chat (or shmooze), talk, twitter, visit

Related Words

gossip, tattle; descant, discuss, expatiate; yak (also yack), yammer, yap

Rhymes with SCHMOOZE

blues, booze, bruise, choose, cruise, cruse, Druze, flews, fuse, lose, Meuse, muse, news, ooze, Ouse, roose, ruse, snooze, trews, use, whose

²schmooze

noun

Definition of SCHMOOZE

1

: a gathering or time devoted to schmoozing

2

: casual talk that is often gossipy or ingratiating

Examples of SCHMOOZE

1. <had to master the art of the schmooze if she wanted to get ahead in the business>

First Known Use of SCHMOOZE

1949

Related to SCHMOOZE

Synonyms

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

Related Words

colloquy, conference, discourse, parley, powwow, symposium; debate, dialogue (also dialog), exchange, give-and-take; crosstalk, happy talk; yak (also yack), yammer, yap