small talk

¹ American  

noun

1. light conversation; chitchat.

   Synonyms:

   gossip, chatter, banter

---

small-talk ² American  

[smawl-tawk] / ˈsmɔlˌtɔk /

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in or have a propensity for small talk.

---

small talk British  

noun

1. light conversation for social occasions

---

small talk Idioms  

1. Casual or trivial conversation, chitchat, as in We stood around making small talk until the guest of honor arrived. The small in this expression alludes to unimportant subjects of conversation, as opposed to serious or weighty ones. [Mid-1700s]

---

Etymology

Origin of small talk¹

First recorded in 1745–55

Origin of small-talk²

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

How magical it all had been: the way we smiled at each other, the coquettish small talk, and the tender sound of our voices.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

A quick "You okay?" followed by "Yeah, I'm fine" is surface-level small talk.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

Food does what small talk so often can’t: it lowers the stakes, signals goodwill, and creates a tiny bridge where there was previously just a hallway.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

“We may do small talk like, ‘How’s the weather?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Helmuth grows sullen and distant, unable to bring himself to eat the cake as Hugo makes small talk with Opa.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• blather
• chatter
• chitchat
• pleasantry