small talk

noun
UK: /ˈsmɔːl ˌtɔːk/
US: /ˈsmɔːl ˌtɔːk/

  1. Polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in to make people feel more comfortable.

    1. We made some small talk about the weather.
    2. I don't enjoy parties where I have to engage in small talk with strangers all night.

Synonyms

chat banter
small talk verb

  1. To engage in polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters.

    1. They small talk before the meeting starts.
    2. We small talked for a few minutes before getting down to serious discussion about the project.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "small talk" is /ˈsmɔːl ˌtɔːk/ in British English and /ˈsmɔːl ˌtɔːk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "small talk": chat, banter.

Example usage of "small talk": "We made some small talk about the weather.". More examples on the page.