Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Casual or trivial conversation.

Wiktionary

  1. n. Idle conversation, typically on innocuous or unimportant subjects, usually engaged in at social gatherings out of politeness.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. light or trifling conversation; chitchat.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. light informal conversation for social occasions

Examples

  • “Since her mother's death she had been her father's hostess and could converse with people from other planets with aplomb, handling small talk of a large dinner party with gracious efficiency in three languages.”

    Citizen Of The Galaxy

  • “The truth is, that just as the iambics of Greek drama were lifted above ordinary conversation, so Shakespeare's language, being the language mainly of poetic and romantic drama, is a little more measured and, if you will, more pompous than the small talk of everyday life, which seems to us, accustomed as we are to prose plays, more natural.”

    The Man Shakespeare

  • “He did his best and even acquired facility in the half-insulting small talk of his age group.”

    Citizen Of The Galaxy

  • “The temporary, and afterward the permanent organization, was finished on the first day, with somewhat less than usual of the wordy and tantalizing small talk which these routine proceedings always call forth.”

    A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln

  • “In the morning making small talk in bed, I told Kate I had gone out with her DJ friend.”

    Fictionaut: Using Mini-Golf as a Metaphor for the Shortcomings in My Love Life

  • “As we made small talk about the events in the world of golf during the summer, I glanced around Teddy's pro shop.”

    Hacker - Death at the Member-Guest

  • “He, as well as Madam de Broglie, was a master of all the modish and fashionable small talk jargon of Paris.”

    The Confessions of J J Rousseau

  • “You may suppose the small talk which takes place between him and Lucifer upon these matters is not quite canonical.”

    Life of Lord Byron With His Letters And Journals

  • “Possibly it was the general sombreness of events that caused these British statesmen to find a certain relief in jocular small talk and reminiscence.”

    The Life and Letters of Walter H Page

  • “He made gentle small talk with Aunt Emily, listened knowledgeably to her father's bibliophilism, reminded her that they had a busy day on the morrow, and took his leave.”

    Two Weeks To Remember

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‘small talk’ has been looked up 1340 times, loved by 3 people, added to 5 lists, commented on 1 time, and is not a valid Scrabble word.