conversationalist

noun

con·​ver·​sa·​tion·​al·​ist ˌkän-vər-ˈsā-shnə-list How to pronounce conversationalist (audio)
-shə-nᵊl-ist
: one who converses a great deal or who excels in conversation
a witty conversationalist

Example Sentences

She's not much of a conversationalist. she's a compulsive conversationalist, so I try to avoid her at the end of the work day
Recent Examples on the Web And as with most good things in life, a spa day is best enjoyed with a congenial conversationalist (i.e., your BFF). Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 11 Jan. 2023 David Hanson's robots are by now somewhat familiar faces, including his Einstein robot currently being used as a research tool at Javier Movellan's Machine Perception Lab at UCSD, and the punk rock conversationalist Joey Chaos. Rebecca Horne, Discover Magazine, 23 Apr. 2010 In a series of interviews with Irish journalist-friend Sean O’Hagan — presented in Q&A format — Cave becomes an open narrator and a bold-faced conversationalist. Jem Aswad, Variety, 15 Dec. 2022 Some people who have met DeSantis earlier this year described the governor as a poor conversationalist with donors. Hannah Knowles And Josh Dawsey, Anchorage Daily News, 24 Sep. 2022 She was also known throughout her life as an engaging and interesting conversationalist. Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 24 Oct. 2022 Thompson, whose grandfather was part Dakota, is an effusive conversationalist. Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 She was intellectually engaged and was a great conversationalist. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 9 Aug. 2022 At the Century Association in New York City, a major criterion for membership is being a good conversationalist. Bryan A. Garner, National Review, 14 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conversationalist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

see conversation

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conversationalist was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near conversationalist

Cite this Entry

“Conversationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conversationalist. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

conversationalist

noun
con·​ver·​sa·​tion·​al·​ist ˌkän-vər-ˈsā-shnə-ləst How to pronounce conversationalist (audio)
-shən-ᵊl-əst
: a person who is fond of or good at conversation

More from Merriam-Webster on conversationalist

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