# chat up

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/chat-up
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To talk to (someone) in a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

## Examples

- He tried to chat her up at the bar.
- The waiter spent too much time chatting up the customers instead of bringing our food.
- The politician moved through the room with practiced ease, chatting up potential donors to secure their support for the upcoming campaign.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.