chatted; chatting
2
a
: to talk in an informal or familiar manner
b
: to take part in an online discussion in a chat room
chiefly British
: to talk to
especially
: to talk lightly, glibly, or flirtatiously with
—often used with up
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
Synonyms
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
Anna Tingley, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
The high-profile guests trickled in shortly before 10 a.m., with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pausing to chat with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang outside the Senate Russell office building’s Kennedy Caucus Room.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 13 Sep. 2023
Hemsworth, 40, Downey, 58, their wives and Renner, 52, were photographed dining and chatting at the Contessa restaurant in the Newbury Boston hotel on Saturday.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
As the party at the Sunset Grill wound down, Taylor Mapp chatted with old Lamberts Point friends and neighbors.
—Louis Hansen, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2023
Throughout the night, Richie and her husband, Elliot Grainge, could be seen chatting it up with their seatmate Derek Blasberg; Julianne Moore was spotted taking selfies with fellow showgoers, including David Lauren; and Keaton bounced around between tables.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2023
Reynolds was active on the sidelines throughout the first half, lingering on the outside of offensive huddles on the field and chatting with his fellow linemen.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 9 Sep. 2023
Earlier in August, Keys took the couple's son Genesis to see Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour, getting to go backstage to chat with the musician herself.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2023
One minute, Gilbert is chatting and applauding Gauff through a practice session.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Amy Joyce, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
In the chat, interviewer Tucker Carlson asked Spears, 41 — who starred in a Pepsi ad in 2001 — about her soda consumption.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023
Local politicians like Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and sports stars like Muhammad Ali would drop by for a chat.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Google Bard can also generate images based on user prompts, adding a visual element to the chat experience.
—Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 15 Sep. 2023
Every game day, however, Jackson never fails to drop a lighthearted image or GIF in the team group chat.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
One with all the bells and whistles: texting, video chat, social media.
—Sona Charaipotra, Parents, 13 Sep. 2023
Sign up here to receive an email right as the chat is about to start.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
The Hollywood Reporter connected with Hamaguchi during the Venice Film Festival for a brief chat about the intentions behind Evil Does Not Exist — as well as the meaning behind its beguiling title.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Sep. 2023
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Verb
Kim Kardashian, in a shimmering sheer pink Balenciaga turtleneck dress, took selfies with Nicole Kidman; Tracee Ellis Ross chatted with the Vice President of Fashion at Meta Eva Chen; Lindsey Vonn huddled with Gayle King; Lauren Sánchez posed for pictures in front of the VIP section of the bar.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
The high-profile guests trickled in shortly before 10 a.m., with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pausing to chat with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang outside the Senate Russell office building’s Kennedy Caucus Room.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 13 Sep. 2023
Hemsworth, 40, Downey, 58, their wives and Renner, 52, were photographed dining and chatting at the Contessa restaurant in the Newbury Boston hotel on Saturday.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
As the party at the Sunset Grill wound down, Taylor Mapp chatted with old Lamberts Point friends and neighbors.
—Louis Hansen, ProPublica, 11 Sep. 2023
Throughout the night, Richie and her husband, Elliot Grainge, could be seen chatting it up with their seatmate Derek Blasberg; Julianne Moore was spotted taking selfies with fellow showgoers, including David Lauren; and Keaton bounced around between tables.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2023
Reynolds was active on the sidelines throughout the first half, lingering on the outside of offensive huddles on the field and chatting with his fellow linemen.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 9 Sep. 2023
Earlier in August, Keys took the couple's son Genesis to see Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour, getting to go backstage to chat with the musician herself.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2023
One minute, Gilbert is chatting and applauding Gauff through a practice session.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Noun
Join Meghan and Amy Joyce, the On Parenting editor, every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, for a live chat to answer questions from parents trying to raise kids of any age.
—Amy Joyce, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
In the chat, interviewer Tucker Carlson asked Spears, 41 — who starred in a Pepsi ad in 2001 — about her soda consumption.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023
Local politicians like Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and sports stars like Muhammad Ali would drop by for a chat.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Google Bard can also generate images based on user prompts, adding a visual element to the chat experience.
—Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 15 Sep. 2023
Every game day, however, Jackson never fails to drop a lighthearted image or GIF in the team group chat.
—Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023
One with all the bells and whistles: texting, video chat, social media.
—Sona Charaipotra, Parents, 13 Sep. 2023
Sign up here to receive an email right as the chat is about to start.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
The Hollywood Reporter connected with Hamaguchi during the Venice Film Festival for a brief chat about the intentions behind Evil Does Not Exist — as well as the meaning behind its beguiling title.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Sep. 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing chat
Dictionary Entries Near chat
Cite this Entry
“Chat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chat. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
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 noun1
: 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
Nglish: Translation of chat for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of chat for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chat
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