chatter

1 of 2

verb

chat·​ter ˈcha-tər 

chattered; chattering; chatters

intransitive verb

1

: to utter rapid short sounds suggestive of language but inarticulate and indistinct

squirrels chattered angrily

2

: to talk idly, incessantly, or fast

3

a

: to click repeatedly or uncontrollably

teeth chattering with cold

b

: to vibrate rapidly in cutting

a chattering tool

c

: to vibrate especially audibly as a consequence of repeated sticking and slipping

chattering brakes

transitive verb

: to utter rapidly, idly, or indistinctly

chatterer noun

chattery

ˈcha-tə-rē 

adjective

chatter

2 of 2

noun

1

: the action or sound of chattering

2

: idle talk : prattle

3

: electronic and especially radio communication between individuals engaged in a common or related form of activity

also : such chatter regarding future hostile activities

4

: a person who participates in online chat

Excite, Inc. … reports that users log a total of 7.5 to 8 million chat minutes on an average day. Half of online chatters are aged 18 to 34, and 15 percent are under age 17.

—Rebecca Piirto Heath

Synonyms of chatter

Verb

• chat
• talk
• converse

Noun

• chat
• talk
• gossip
• chitchat

Examples of chatter in a Sentence

Verb

Children chattered in the middle of the playground.

My teeth were chattering from the cold.

Birds chattered in the trees.

Noun

heard the chatter of squirrels

pleasant chatter over morning coffee

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Hundreds of millions of people are watching TV and YouTube closely, chattering and analyzing on social media. — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2026

The chattering and barking mammals that scamper through these woodlands rely on the pale fluid to grow fast, providing mammal pups with the raw materials to start turning the soft cartilage of their skeletons to more resilient bone. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Noun

The $120 whole chicken sparked plenty of online chatter, though the $65 half-chicken is substantial enough for a party of four. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

There has been chatter about teams tanking to avoid being elevated to the Open Division. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chatteren, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chatter

• chatter mark

Rhymes for chatter

• atter
• batter
• blatter
• catarrh
• clatter
• fatter
• flatter
• hatter
• latter
• matter
• natter
• patter

Kids Definition

chatter

verb

chat·​ter

ˈchat-ər

1

: to utter rapid meaningless sounds suggesting speech

squirrels chattered angrily

2

: to talk idly, continually, or rapidly

3

: to click again and again without control

teeth chattering

chatter noun

chatterer

ˈchat-ər-ər

noun

chattery

-ə-rē

adjective