chatter
B2Informal
Definition
Meaning
To talk rapidly, continuously, and often about unimportant things.
1. To make rapid, short, repetitive sounds (like teeth, a machine, or birds). 2. In computing, a fault where electrical contacts rapidly open and close.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to trivial or incessant talk. Implies lack of substance, volume, and speed. Can be used literally for objects producing rapid, repetitive noise.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in core meaning. Slightly more common in British English for describing teeth ('My teeth were chattering with the cold').
Connotations
Generally slightly negative for human talk (implies frivolity), neutral for mechanical/animal sounds.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[chatter] about [something][chatter] away[chatter] on[chatter] incessantlyVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “chatter like a magpie”
- “chatterbox (noun: a person who chatters)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. 'Let's move beyond the water-cooler chatter and focus on the data.'
Academic
Rare except in specific fields (linguistics, computing). 'The paper analyses the phonological patterns of infant chatter.'
Everyday
Very common. 'The children's chatter filled the house.' 'I could hear the chatter of squirrels in the trees.'
Technical
Computing: 'Contact chatter can cause signal degradation.' Dentistry: 'Bruxism is more than just teeth chattering.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They chattered away happily over a cuppa.
- The magpies were chattering in the old oak tree.
- His teeth began to chatter in the freezing wind.
American English
- They chattered nonstop during the movie.
- The squirrels chattered angrily from the fence.
- The old engine chattered and smoked before starting.
adverb
British English
- She spoke chattily, her words almost chattering out of her. (rare, derived from 'chatty')
American English
- (No standard adverb form for 'chatter'. 'Chatteringly' is highly non-standard and rare.)
adjective
British English
- The chattering classes were obsessed with the scandal. (set phrase)
- A chattering magpie woke me up.
American English
- He's known as the chattering stockbroker at the club. (set phrase)
- We could hear the chattering noise of the typewriter.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The birds chatter in the morning.
- The children chatter in class.
- I could hear the excited chatter of the crowd before the show.
- She chattered on about her holiday for an hour.
- Despite the nervous chatter before the meeting, the presentation went smoothly.
- The constant chatter from the open-plan office made it hard to concentrate.
- The political chatter in the media has intensified ahead of the election.
- The fault was traced to contact chatter in the relay, causing intermittent power loss.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the sound 'chat-ter, chat-ter' mimicking rapid, repetitive talking.
Conceptual Metaphor
NON-SUBSTANTIAL TALK IS NOISE / IS A RAPID, REPETITIVE MECHANICAL ACTION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'болтать' in its primary meaning of 'to dangle' or 'to stir'.
- Do not use for formal discussion ('обсуждать').
- The noun 'chatter' (болтовня) is uncountable.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for serious conversation. (INCORRECT: 'The diplomats chattered about the treaty.')
- Using 'chatter with someone' (less common) instead of 'chatter to someone' or 'chatter away'.
- Confusing verb and noun form in collocations ('make a chatter' is incorrect).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'chatter' used CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. While it often implies triviality ('mindless chatter'), it can be neutral or positive in social contexts ('friendly chatter', 'the cheerful chatter of a party'). The context provides the tone.
'Chat' is neutral, mutual, and can be substantive. 'Chatter' is often one-sided, rapid, and trivial. 'Gossip' specifically involves talking about others' personal lives, often rumors.
Almost always uncountable (e.g., 'a lot of chatter'). You cannot have 'one chatter' or 'two chatters' in standard usage.
Rarely. It's considered informal. In academic or business writing, synonyms like 'discussion', 'conversation', or 'dialogue' are preferred, unless describing the specific phenomenon of trivial talk or mechanical noise.