Meaning & use
conversationalist
Last updated
UK/ˌkɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃən.əl.ɪst/
US/ˌkɑːn.vɚˈseɪ.ʃən.əl.ɪst/
Meaning
nouncountable
A person who is skilled and enjoyable at talking with others.
Grammar: Often with a quality adjective: she is a great conversationalist.
Patterns
- a good conversationalist
He was a charming conversationalist who made everyone feel at ease.
She is not a natural conversationalist, but she listens well.
The host, a witty conversationalist, kept the dinner lively.
Word forms
| plural | conversationalists |
|---|
Common combinations
- skilled conversationalist
- A skilled conversationalist asks good questions.
- brilliant conversationalist
- He was a brilliant conversationalist at parties.
- natural conversationalist
- She is a natural conversationalist.
- poor conversationalist
- I am a poor conversationalist before coffee.
Synonyms and how they differ
- talker
- Talker is more neutral and may suggest talking a lot, without the skill implied by conversationalist.
- raconteur
- A raconteur specifically tells stories well, which is narrower than general conversation.
- chatterbox
- Chatterbox is informal and suggests talking constantly, often to the point of annoyance.
- speaker
- Speaker is general and may refer to someone giving a speech.
Opposites
Word family
- conversation noun
- a talk between people
- converse verb
- to talk with someone formally
- conversational adjective
- relaxed, like everyday speech
- conversationally adverb
- in a relaxed, chatty way
Commonly confused: conversationalist or chatterbox?
conversationalist vs chatterbox
A chatterbox talks a lot, perhaps tiresomely. A conversationalist talks well and engages others.
Practice
What makes someone a good conversationalist?
Choose one answer.
A good conversationalist makes talk enjoyable by being engaging and listening. The other options describe poor habits.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “conversationalist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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