schmoozing
Working the room
Schmoozing is friendly, ingratiating conversation, especially to build social connections or advance one's interests.
The word comes from Yiddish and carries a slightly cynical edge—schmoozing often implies working a room, cultivating contacts, or buttering someone up: He spent the cocktail hour schmoozing potential investors.
Someone good at it is a schmoozer.
Expressions of admiration
- sweet-talkFlatter to persuade
- apple-polishingSycophantic behavior for advantage
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
- ingratiationDeliberate favor-seeking behavior
sycophancy · fawning · smooth-talking · blandishments · cajolery · brown-nosing · kowtowing · soft-soap
Casual social interaction
- chitchatInformal light conversation
- small-talkLight, casual conversation
- banterPlayful, teasing exchange
- receptionAct of receiving guests
mixer · gathering · circulating · hobnobbing · glad-handing · conviviality · galas · soirees
People you know professionally
- connectionsRelationships between things
- professionalCredentialed in one's field
- colleaguesProfessional associates
- industryEconomic production sector
conferences · partnerships · associates · outreach · referrals · introductions · career · mentors
Power to affect others
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
- coaxingPersuading through gentle persistence
- cajolingPersuading through flattery
- wheedlingPersuading through flattery
soft-sell · wooing · arm-twisting · negotiate · pitch · manipulate · sweet-talking · enticement
Persuasive, flattering speaker
- silver-tonguedPersuasively articulate speaker
- slickSmooth or craftily adept
- suaveSmoothly refined in manner
- fast-talkingPersuasively rapid in speech
charming · oily · unctuous · polished · articulate · facile · insincere · superficial
compliments
Expressions of admiration
- sweet-talkFlatter to persuade
- apple-polishingSycophantic behavior for advantage
- bootlickingServile flattery for advantage
ingratiation · sycophancy · fawning · smooth-talking · blandishments · cajolery · brown-nosing · kowtowing · soft-soap · praise
mingling
Casual social interaction
- chitchatInformal light conversation
- small-talkLight, casual conversation
- banterPlayful, teasing exchange
reception · mixer · gathering · circulating · hobnobbing · glad-handing · conviviality · galas · soirees · name-dropping
contacts
People you know professionally
- connectionsRelationships between things
- professionalCredentialed in one's field
- colleaguesProfessional associates
industry · conferences · partnerships · associates · outreach · referrals · introductions · career · mentors · dealmaking
influence
Power to affect others
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
- coaxingPersuading through gentle persistence
- cajolingPersuading through flattery
wheedling · soft-sell · wooing · arm-twisting · negotiate · pitch · manipulate · sweet-talking · enticement · leveraging
smooth-talker
Persuasive, flattering speaker
- silver-tonguedPersuasively articulate speaker
- slickSmooth or craftily adept
- suaveSmoothly refined in manner
fast-talking · charming · oily · unctuous · polished · articulate · facile · insincere · superficial · pat
- socializingmingle, mingles, mingling, party, parties
- business lunchreservation, expense account, restaurant, negotiation, deal
- chatterchat, chatter, chatting, chitchat, chit-chat
- chitchatsmall talk, banter, chitchat, chatter, chat
- flatteryflatter, praise, flattery, compliment, compliments
- high societygossip, socialites, socialite, aristocrats, aristocrat
schmoozingkeeping to oneself
Staying socially isolated
withdrawing · cold-shouldering · antisocial behavior · isolating · shunning
schmoozingstraight talk
Honest, direct communication
brutal honesty · telling it like it is · cutting to the chase · speaking frankly · calling out
schmooze, schmoozer, schmoose, schmoozed, schmoozes, schmooses, schmoozers, schmoosed, schmoosing