backchat

B3A1C3K5C3H4A1T1
/ˈbæk.t͡ʃæt/

noun

Cheeky or impertinent responses, especially to criticism.

“Peter was sent to detention for backchatting the teacher.”

Similar
backtalkanswer backmouth offsassbanterraillerygive-and-take
OriginEnglish chat ← Middle English chateren ← Old English bæc →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nounbackchat (countable and uncountable, plural backchats)

plural backchats · alternative back chat · alternative back-chat

  1. UKcountableuncountableCheeky or impertinent responses, especially to criticism.

    Old Pete would have had some smart gay backchat to deal with an awkward moment like this.

    2004, Alan Hollinghurst, chapter 6, in The Line of Beauty […], London: Picador, →ISBN

    Synonyms: backtalk

verbbackchat (third-person singular simple present backchats, present participle backchatting, simple past and past participle backchatted)

present singular third person backchats · participle present backchatting · participle past backchatted · past backchatted · alternative back chat · alternative back-chat

  1. To respond in a disputative, often sarcastic manner.

    Peter was sent to detention for backchatting the teacher.

    Synonyms: answer back, mouth off, sass

Synonyms & antonyms

nounCheeky or impertinent responses, especially to criticism.

Similar
backtalk

verbTo respond in a disputative, often sarcastic manner.

Similar
answer backmouth offsass

More synonyms by meaning

nounlight teasing repartee

Similar
banterraillerygive-and-take
Broader
repartee
Also see
backtalkbantergive-and-takelarruplipraillery

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeg-der.?
  2. Proto-Germanic*baką
  3. Proto-West Germanic*bak
  4. Old Englishbæc
  5. Middle Englishbak
  6. Englishback
  7. Middle Englishcheteren, chiteren (Imitative)
  8. Middle Englishchateren
  9. Englishchatterclip.
  10. Englishchat
  11. Englishbackchat

From back + chat.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

backchat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backchat

MLA

“backchat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backchat. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “backchat,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/backchat.

Source: backchat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.