small talk

small talk
noun
light informal conversation for social occasions
• Syn:
• Derivationally related forms:
↑tittle-tattle (for: ↑tittle-tattle), ↑gossipy (for: ↑gossip), ↑gossip (for: ↑gossip), ↑gabby (for: ↑gab), ↑chitchat (for: ↑chit chat), ↑chitchat (for: ↑chit-chat), ↑chitchat (for: ↑chitchat)
• Hypernyms: ↑chat, ↑confab, ↑confabulation, ↑schmooze, ↑schmoose

* * *

noun
: light or casual conversation : chitchat

* * *

light conversation; chitchat.
[1745-55]
Syn. banter, chatter, gossip.

* * *

small talk noun
Light or trifling conversation
• • •
Main Entry: ↑small

* * *

small talk UK US noun [uncountable]
informal conversation about things that are not important
Thesaurus: informal conversation about other people or unimportant thingssynonym

* * *

small talk,
talk about matters having little importance; chit-chat: »

He mingled freely with other delegates, trying to make small talk and little jokes (New York Times).

* * *

n. polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, esp. as engaged in on social occasions

propriety required that he face these people and make small talk

* * *

noun [noncount]
: informal, friendly conversation about unimportant subjects

They made small talk while waiting for the meeting to start.

* * *

ˈsmall talk [small talk] noun uncountable
polite conversation about ordinary or unimportant subjects, especially at social occasions

•

They

made small talk

for half an hour.

•

He has no small talk

(= is not good at talking politely about unimportant subjects)

.

 
Example Bank:

•

She was good at making small talk to put guests at their ease.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Small Talk — Small Talk …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • Small talk — is conversation for its own sake; the ability to conduct small talk is a social skill.Small talk is sometimes referred to as phatic communication , a term coined by Bronisław Malinowski in 1923.Small talk, Small Talk or Smalltalk may also… …   Wikipedia

  • Small Talk — Small Talk, der, auch: das; s, s, Small|talk, der, auch: das; s, s [engl. small talk, zu: talk = Gespräch, Unterhaltung] (bildungsspr.): leichte, beiläufige Konversation: der übliche S. T. auf Partys war ihm zuwider. * * * Smalltalk [ smɔ:l tɔ:k] …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Small talk — Small Small (sm[add]l), a. [Compar. {Smaller}; superl. {Smallest}.] [OE. small, AS. sm[ae]l; akin to D. smal narrow, OS. & OHG. smal small, G. schmal narrow, Dan. & Sw. smal, Goth. smals small, Icel. smali smal cattle, sheep, or goats; cf. Gr.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • small talk — UK US noun [U] ► polite conversation about things that are not important, often between people who are meeting for the first time: »I soon learned how to make small talk with people at formal receptions …   Financial and business terms

  • small talk — n [U] polite friendly conversation about unimportant subjects ▪ We stood around making small talk …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • small talk — small′ talk n. light conversation; chitchat • Etymology: 1745–55 small′ talk , v.i …   From formal English to slang

  • small talk — talk about unimportant topics the weather etc.    Winnie is good at making small talk with strangers …   English idioms

  • small talk — [n] casual conversation babble, blab*, blather, chatter, chitchat*, gossip, idle chatter, idle talk, jabber*, prattle, yakking*; concepts 274,278 …   New thesaurus

  • small talk — small ,talk noun uncount informal conversation about things that are not important …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • small talk — ► NOUN ▪ polite conversation about trivial or uncontroversial matters …   English terms dictionary

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