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Glite Dictionary
chattily

chattily

5.7
In a lively, friendly way that shows you like talking
  • adverb
  • /ˈtʃætɪli/
  • Informal
translation icon : charlando
  • "Have you seen the new café on Main Street?" she asked chattily, her eyes bright with excitement.
  • said chattily

Examples

  • I'll have to get back to it," I said chattily to myself.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • "Nice office," Mac commented chattily.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • "You buy drugs from me?" he asked chattily as they headed toward Saigon.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • She said, rather chattily, "The dollar is terrible in France."

    Fiction book (1997)

  • "I just came from him," the nurse began to converse chattily.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • "Tell her to go screw herself," Gabby said chattily, as Peter stood up and began wrestling with the trunk again with a look of disapproval.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • "What great weather we're having!" she said chattily, enjoying the warm sunshine.

  • He greeted me chattily, eager to share the latest news from the neighborhood.

Synonyms

conversationally
vschattily
  • Informal
2 4.8

In an informal, friendly way like when you speak to a friend

is more about lively friendly enjoyment than only informal style
volubly
vschattily
  • Formal
1 8.7

In a quick, talkative way using many words

is more about friendly lively tone than fast fluent delivery
talkatively
vschattily
5.8

In a friendly way that shows someone enjoys speaking a lot

is more about lively informal friendly manner than long speech
talkily
vschattily
8.9

To speak a lot and fill silences with words

is more about lively informal manner rather than excessive speaking
loquaciously
vschattily
  • Formal
9.9

Talking a lot in a friendly, lively way

is more about lively informal friendliness than sheer amount of speech
garrulously
vschattily
  • Formal
8.5

Talking a lot in a way that annoys others

is friendlier and lively rather than overly long or annoying speech

Antonyms

seriously
∞ 1.6

In a way that shows you mean what you say

formally
  • Formal
149 3.7

In a formal, official way that follows the rules

How Chatty

loquaciously
  • Formal
9.9
garrulously
  • Formal
8.5
chattily
  • Informal
5.7
quietly
517 1.0
silently
129 1.2

Surface Forms

chattily positive
chattier comparative
chattiest superlative

Morphology

chattily = chatty (transparent) = chat + y + ly

Formed by adding the productive adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'chatty'; the meaning is directly predictable (orthographic doubling of 't' is regular and does not obscure meaning).

Etymology

Chattily comes from chat, which means 'talk' and is like chatter, the quick, light sound we imagine birds making when they are active; this gives the word a busy, friendly feel. So, to speak chattily is to talk in a lively, informal, and friendly way.