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 Vocal frustration with more expensive gas and food, rent-raising landlords and premium-raising insurance companies still animates small talk among friends. Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024 Invite the couple as always; be civil, of course; and take part fully in the group’s standard small talk and chatter and conversation. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024 This gives callers natural conversations, the ability to correct themselves, low latency and more—all with no wait times, annoying phone trees or small talk. Gadi Shamia, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 But unlike those other services, there will be nobody to make small talk with while riding in a Waymo One vehicle because the vehicles are controlled by computer software. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Serra, like Johns, was an intense presence who had no patience for small talk. Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024 Like a beacon in his chef’s whites, Ruiz led us through the market’s endless alleys, stopping every now and then to make small talk with a stallholder or to take a selfie with a fan. Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2024 Readers can expect chapters to highlight small talk's significant role in life and even offer snippets of real small talk trainees. Chris Barilla, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Others are drawn to the idea of avoiding small talk and the pressure to tip. Corina Knoll, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'small talk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 2 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

small talk

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