chat
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a friendly and informal talk with someone.
n.an informal, light-hearted conversation. Often used with the verb 'have'.
Simple“I had a quick chat with my neighbour while I was watering the plants.”
In context“The manager had a brief chat with the team to ensure everyone was comfortable with the new schedule before the project began.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
n.an exchange of text or voice messages over the internet.
n.the exchange of real-time digital messages via a computer network or messaging application.
Simple“Send me a message in the group chat so I have your phone number.”
In context“The technical support team uses a live chat feature to resolve customer queries in real time without the need for a phone call.”
Synonymsmessaginginstant message - 03 A2 Elementary
v.to talk to someone in a friendly, informal way.
v.to engage in informal conversation. Intransitive, typically taking the preposition 'to' or 'with'.
Simple“We sat in the café and chatted for hours about our holiday plans.”
In context“The delegates spent the coffee break chatting with their counterparts from other regions to build professional rapport.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
interj.a word used by people streaming video to talk to everyone watching them.
interj.a collective vocative used by live-streamers to address their entire viewing audience as a single entity.
Simple“Is the audio working okay, chat?”
In context“The streamer looked directly at the camera and asked, 'Chat, do you think we should try the secret level or go straight to the boss?'”
UsageUsed as a direct address, often at the beginning or end of a sentence.
Teacher's tipThis is very specific to internet culture, particularly on platforms like Twitch or YouTube Live; it would sound strange in a physical meeting.
Clipping of chatter. The bird sense refers to the sound of its call.
Compare chit (“small piece of paper”), and chad.
Unknown.
From thieves' cant.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.