Meaning & Origin

“Shoot the breeze” means to have light, casual conversation — nothing serious, just chatting. The phrase shows up in 20th‑century American English and is common in informal speech.

Pronunciation Guide

• shoot — sounds like “shoot,” long “oo.”
• the — usually “thuh” before a consonant.
• breeze — rhymes with “please.”
• Natural rhythm: SHOOT the BREEZE.

Usage & Sentence Examples

Use it when people are chatting for fun or to pass time.

• We hung out after class to shoot the breeze.
• They were just shooting the breeze before the stand‑up.
• Call me later if you want to shoot the breeze.
• We shot the breeze on the porch until sunset.
• Let’s shoot the breeze over coffee this afternoon.
• Nothing urgent — we’re just shooting the breeze.

Synonyms

chat · make small talk · chit‑chat · catch up · talk casually · chew the fat (informal)