This is the 10246th most frequent Japanese word.
雑談
Casual or idle chatter; small talk.
The word "雑談" is used here to indicate an informal or casual conversation usually not tied to work or formal topics.
昼休みに同僚と雑談をした。
I had a casual conversation with my colleague during lunch break.
Here, "雑談" denotes casual small talk before a formal meeting, highlighting its nature as an introductory or filler speech.
雑談が長引いてしまい、会議が少し遅れて始まった。
The casual chat went on for too long, and the meeting started a little late.
In this sentence, "雑談" is referring to someone's skill in informal and friendly communications, emphasizing a social competency.