Chat

/tʃæt/

verbBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

To talk informally and casually.

/tʃæt/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To talk in a friendly and informal way.

Let's chat later.

💡 Simply: Chatting is like having a friendly, informal talk with someone. Imagine two friends catching up over coffee – that's chatting!

👶 For kids: Talking with a friend, like sharing secrets.

More Examples

2

They were chatting happily.

How It's Used

Social

"We chatted for hours about our favorite movies."

Online

"I chatted with my friend online last night."

2

An informal conversation.

/tʃæt/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A friendly, informal conversation.

We had a long chat.

💡 Simply: A chat is like a quick, friendly conversation. Think of texting a friend – that's a type of chat!

👶 For kids: A talk with a friend.

More Examples

2

The chat was very interesting.

How It's Used

Social

"We had a nice chat about our weekend plans."

Online

"I sent a quick chat message."

Tip:Picture a quick, casual conversation, like two people chatting by the water cooler.

Idioms & expressions

catch up chat

An informal conversation to share news and updates.

"We had a catch-up chat to share what happened during the summer."

From Middle English *chatten, from Old French *chater, imitative of bird sounds.

The word 'chat' in its current sense of informal conversation has become increasingly common since the advent of online communication.

Memory tip

Think of a 'chat' as a quick, friendly conversation, like birds chirping.

Base: chat
chattechtat

Usage

80%Spoken
20%Written