tʃæt ʌp
informal
intermediate
- Base verb:
- chat
- Particle:
- up
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "chat up" mean?
- To talk flirtatiously with someone.
- To talk in a friendly way to gain a favour.
Examples
- He spent the evening trying to chat up the woman at the bar.
- She chatted up the receptionist to get a better room.
- Stop trying to chat me up.
- He's always chatting up strangers at parties.
How to use it
More common in British and Australian English. In North America, 'hit on' is preferred.
Word order
Object can go between: 'chat someone up' or 'chat up someone'.
Similar expressions
flirt with
hit on
sweet-talk
Opposites
ignore
snub
Related phrasal verbs
- get up
To rise from bed after sleeping
- turn up
To increase the volume, heat, or intensity of something
- give up
To stop trying to do something, often because it is too difficult
- bring up
To mention or introduce a topic in conversation
- go up
To increase in price, level, or amount
- come up
To be mentioned or discussed
Use it in a practice answer
Try "chat up" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.