chat

1 of 2

verb

chatted; chatting

intransitive verb

1
2
a
: to talk in an informal or familiar manner
b
: to take part in an online discussion in a chat room

transitive verb

chiefly British : to talk to
especially : to talk lightly, glibly, or flirtatiously with
often used with up

chat

2 of 2

noun

1
: idle small talk : chatter
2
: light informal or familiar talk
especially : conversation
3
[imitative] : any of several songbirds (as of the genera Cercomela, Granatellus, or Icteria)
4
: online discussion in a chat room
also : an instance of such discussion
participate in computer chats

Examples of chat in a Sentence

Verb We chatted about our plans for the summer. called him up to chat She stayed up all night chatting with her friends online. Noun We enjoyed a chat over coffee. software used for e-mail and chat
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Ahead of her endeavors, Blige chatted with Variety about why philanthropy is paramount to her current focus, her recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and why her upcoming album may be her last. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024 While chatting with the publication, the musician also opened up about working with Swift on her 11th album, which was released April 19. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024 The show begins on a seemingly monotonous day, as Mary Jane (McAdams) chats idly in her kitchen with Ruthie (Brenda Wehle), the superintendent of her cramped Queens apartment building. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024 Some people chat in threes and fours, balancing paper plates of tacos and cocktails. Claire O’Callahan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024 By late afternoon, about 50-100 people were sitting, reading poetry and chatting. Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024 Finding a quiet place to chat in Manhattan is never easy, but the brothers settle on a wall outside of a sleepy office building near the West Side Highway. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024 Like most customers, Mrs. Jones began chatting about her family. Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024 The pair held hands and quietly chatted with each other on the carpet, and at one point, Bloom reached out to adjust Perry's dress. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
Noun
Her verses are often sprawling and hyper-specific, like leaked messages from a group chat of close friends. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024 Many of the BBSes were standard tech-nerd fare—chats where users would discuss pirating software or gossip about buzzy new product releases. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024 In that case, Instagram also will display a message encouraging users not to feel pressure to respond, with an option to block the sender and report the chat. Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024 Below, the lead of Loot chats with THR about playing and dressing the part of a billionaire, what the series has taught her about being a producer, and working with longtime friend Ana Gasteyer in season two. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024 The group chat featured heavily in Ms. Taylor’s Business Insider article. Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024 Silvio and Stephan Marsan allegedly sent racist, homophobic and antisemitic memes and messages in group chats with a number of Brandy Melville employees. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024 Cast members are also available to answer questions in staffed virtual chats. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024 More than 25 years after the record, the group actively participate in a group chat, sharing Texas high school track news and more. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chatten, short for chatteren

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chat was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near chat

Cite this Entry

“Chat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chat. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

chat

1 of 2 verb
chatted; chatting
1
: to talk in a friendly manner about things that are not serious
2
: to take part in an online discussion in a chat room

chat

2 of 2 noun
1
: a light friendly conversation
2
: a talk held over the Internet by people using a chat room
3
: any of several songbirds with a chattering call

More from Merriam-Webster on chat

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