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 Emarginata or Myrmecocichla)
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
The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour at the bar, during which the crowd chatted over martinis, margaritas, and sparkling water before being ushered into the dining room for dinner. Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024 Designate a team member to moderate the event—someone who can monitor the Q&A and chat feature or address the media if necessary. Michele Dobnikar, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
Letting AIs extend workflow beyond the chat window—think actually updating account information, booking flights, and sending messages to third parties—will greatly increase their usefulness and also our sense of connection to the agents themselves. Mike Murchison, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 Sam has secretly resented her father for decades because he’s been absent from her life, and those emotions come to a head when a new ghost leads her to finally have a father/daughter chat. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chat 

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 31 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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