# small talk

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/small-talk
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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

## Examples

- She hates small talk at parties.
- While waiting for the meeting to start, the two colleagues made small talk about the weather.
- Trapped beside a stranger at the wedding dinner, he endured forty minutes of small talk about house prices and gardening before excusing himself.

---

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.