Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense chats, present participle chatting, past tense, past participle chatted
1. verb
When people chat, they talk to each other in an informal and friendly way.
The women were chatting. [VERB]
I was chatting to him the other day. [V + to/with]
He's chatting with his dad. [Vto/with n]
We chatted about old times. [VERB + about]
Synonyms: talk, gossip, jaw [slang], natter More Synonyms of chat
Chat is also a noun.
I had a chat with John. [+ with]
2. verb
When people chat, they exchange short written messages on the internet or on their phones.
The software allows students to collaborate on documents and to chat via instantmessaging. [VERB]
Kirstie was chatting with friends on a website. [V + to/with]
Chat is also a noun.
The author took part in a live web chat.
Synonyms: talk, tête-à-tête, conversation, gossip More Synonyms of chat
Phrasal verbs:
See chat up
chat in British English1
(tʃæt)
noun
1.
informal conversation or talk conducted in an easy familiar manner
2.
the exchange of messages in an internet or other network chatroom
3.
any Old World songbird of the subfamily Turdinae (thrushes, etc) having a harsh chattering cry
See also stonechat, whinchat
4.
any of various North American warblers, such as Icteria virens (yellow-breasted chat)
5.
any of various Australian wrens (family Muscicapidae) of the genus Ephthianura and other genera
verbWord forms: chats, chatting or chatted(intransitive)
6.
to talk in an easy familiar way
7.
to exchange messages in a chatroom
Word origin
C16: short for chatter
chat in British English2
(tʃæt)
noun
archaic or dialect
a catkin, esp a willow catkin
Word origin
C15: from French chat cat, referring to the furry appearance
chat in American English1
(tʃæt)
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈchatted or ˈchatting
1.
to talk or converse in a light, easy, informal manner
2. Computing
to hold an electronic conversation by exchanging typed messages: the messages appear on each participant's computer screen as they are typed
noun
3.
small talk; chitchat
a letter filled with chat about books
4.
an easy, informal talk or conversation
5.
any of various passerine birds with a chattering call
6. US
any of several songbirds of various families characterized by a chattering song; esp., a yellow-breasted wood warbler (Icteria virens) of North America
Idioms:
chat up
Word origin
< chatter
chat in American English2
(tʃæt)
noun
1.
an ament or catkin, as of a willow
2.
a samara, as of a maple
3.
a spike, as of plantain
Word origin
Fr < LL cattus, cat1
Examples of 'chat' in a sentence
chat
We went for a coffee and chatted for hours.
The Sun (2015)
Yesterday she was well enough to chat with her family.
The Sun (2006)
We exchange details and chat on the phone.
The Sun (2013)
You would expect an informal chat or some sort of disciplinary process.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We were chatting and laughing away for hours.
The Sun (2014)
We chat to the people in the chippy and the cab office.
The Sun (2008)
We shopped and chatted over lunch about my work and love life.
The Sun (2011)
Chat too long on the phone and the dog may make a puddle in the kitchen.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
We stood alongside each other in the slips and chatted all day about captaincy.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We found somewhere quiet to chat and the conversation became deep and personal.
The Sun (2014)
When you ring friends you are always worried they will be too busy for a chat.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
She used to come in and chat.
The Sun (2012)
Lock on to new love via a friendly chat.
The Sun (2011)
We talked and chatted in the jungle.
The Sun (2010)
We went for a coffee and a chat.
The Sun (2013)
The couple are chatting in the family kitchen.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We chatted and exchanged mobile phone numbers.
The Sun (2008)
We just had a few informal chats.
Kiam, Victor Going For It!: How to Succeed As an Entrepreneur (1986)
They can chat away about things that would tax my patience.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
She went quiet then wandered off to chat to other people.
The Sun (2016)
They want to chat about my career.
The Sun (2011)
Any notion of a long chat was quickly extinguished.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The couple spent days messaging and chatting on the phone meeting for a romantic walk.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We also chat on the phone, just to catch up.
The Sun (2013)
The Hello singer will also chat to some listeners live on air.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Word lists with
chat
bird, Social networking terms
In other languages
chat
British English: chat /tʃæt/ NOUN
A chat is informal conversation or talk conducted in an easy familiar manner.
I had a chat with him.
American English: chat
Arabic: ثَرْثَرَة
Brazilian Portuguese: bate-papo
Chinese: 聊天
Croatian: čavrljanje
Czech: rozhovor
Danish: chat
Dutch: praatje
European Spanish: charla
Finnish: rupattelu
French: discussion
German: Plauderei
Greek: κουβεντούλα
Italian: chiacchierata
Japanese: おしゃべり
Korean: 잡담
Norwegian: prat
Polish: pogawędka
European Portuguese: conversa
Romanian: taifas
Russian: беседа
Latin American Spanish: charla
Swedish: samtal
Thai: การพูดคุยกันเล่นๆ
Turkish: sohbet
Ukrainian: балачка
Vietnamese: chuyện phiếm
British English: chat /tʃæt/ VERB
When people chat, they talk to each other in an informal and friendly way.
The women were chatting.
American English: chat
Arabic: يُثَرْثَرُ
Brazilian Portuguese: bater papo
Chinese: 聊天
Croatian: čavrljati
Czech: povídat si
Danish: chatte
Dutch: kletsen
European Spanish: charlar
Finnish: jutella
French: discuter
German: plaudern
Greek: κουβεντιάζω
Italian: chiacchierare
Japanese: おしゃべりする
Korean: 잡담하다
Norwegian: småprate
Polish: pogawędzić
European Portuguese: conversar
Romanian: a sta la taifas
Russian: болтать
Latin American Spanish: charlar
Swedish: prata
Thai: คุยเล่น
Turkish: sohbet etmek
Ukrainian: балакати
Vietnamese: tán gẫu
All related terms of 'chat'
chat up
If you chat someone up , usually someone you do not know very well, you talk to them in a friendly way because you are sexually attracted to them.
chat room
A chat room is a site on the internet where people can exchange messages about a particular subject .
chat show
A chat show is a television or radio show in which people talk in a friendly , informal way about different topics .
chit-chat
Chit-chat is informal talk about things that are not very important.
fireside chat
an informal conversation
chat-up line
A chat-up line is a remark that someone makes in order to start a conversation with someone they do not know but find sexually attractive.
pas de chat
a catlike leap
langue de chat
a flat sweet finger-shaped biscuit
chatline
People phone in to chatlines to have conversations with other people who have also phoned in.
Chinese translation of 'chat'
chat
(tʃæt)
vi
(also have a chat) 聊天 (liáotiān)
n(c)
(= conversation) 聊天 (liáotiān) (次, cì)
(verb)
Definition
to have an informal conversation
I was just chatting to him the other day.
Synonyms
talk
The boys all began to talk at once.
gossip
We gossiped well into the night.
jaw (slang)
jawing for half an hour with the very affable waiter
natter
The pair would natter on the phone for hours.
blather
He kept on blathering about incompetence.
schmooze (slang)
blether (Scottish)
shoot the breeze (US, slang)
chew the rag or fat (slang)
(noun)
Definition
an informal conversation
She asked me into her office for a chat.
Synonyms
talk
We had a long talk about life.
tête-à-tête
a brief tête-à-tête between the two leaders
conversation
Our telephone conversation lasted an hour and a half.
gossip
There has been a lot of gossip about the reasons for his absence.