200+ Best Conversation Starters You Can Use to Start Interesting and Enjoyable Conversations

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Move past awkward silences and trivial questions with these conversation starters, helping you talk to family, friends, and acquaintances in fun, intriguing, and enjoyable ways.

Conversation Starters

Conversation starters list.

Good

Want to inspire some meaningful conversation without getting too deep or personal? These good conversation starters are a great place to start to keep things interesting, without becoming too intimate.

1. What’s your favorite social media platform?

2. Do you prefer to go on a staycation or travel abroad?

3. Which language would you love to be fluent in?

4. If you could know how to play one instrument, which instrument would you choose?

5. What’s the last good book you read?

6. What are your favorite podcasts?

7. Who was your role model when you were growing up?

8. What’s the kindest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

9. What popular song do you find annoying?

10. If you had to change your name, what would you change it to?

11. What song is your guilty pleasure?

12. What’s the most underrated TV show?

13. What’s the most overrated TV show?

14. If you were asked to give a Ted Talk, what would the topic be?

15. Do you believe in paranormal experiences?

16. If you could have any talent, what talent would you choose?

17. What would your dream home look like?

18. Does your glass tend to be half empty or half full?

19. If you could only shop at one clothing store for the rest of your life, where would you shop?

20. What is your zodiac sign?

21. Which world record would you be most likely to break?


Easy

Got a first date or work event lined up? Meet new people with confidence by having some of these easy conversation starters in your back pocket.

22. Do you have a nickname?

23. Do you have any siblings?

24. Have you ever met anybody famous?

25. Do you prefer watching films or television?

26. What’s your favorite room in the house to spend time in?

27. What’s your go-to comfort food when you’re feeling stressed?

28. What items do you bring with you wherever you go?

29. Have you been on any interesting holidays or trips lately?

30. What’s your favorite thing to do on weekends?

31. What’s your favorite season?

32. Which TV show is your guilty pleasure?

33. What’s the most challenging thing you’ve ever done?

34. What is your family like?

35. Have you ever had/do you have any pets?

36. What’s your favorite type of workout?

37. Which TV show did you binge-watch the quickest?

38. Are you religious?

39. Do you have any allergies?

40. Do you play video games?

41. How good are you at DIY?

42. What movie are you desperate to see?

43. What do you do to relax?

44. Are you a dog or a cat person?

45. How active are you on social media?

46. Do you prefer sun or snow?

47. Do you believe in horoscopes?


Funny

Bring your sense of humor and some wild and wacky stories to the forefront by asking some of these funny conversation starters to set the tone of the conversation.

48. What’s your quirkiest talent?

49. What’s your silliest fear?

50. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

51. What’s your most controversial opinion?

52. What food do you hate that everybody else loves?

53. What song makes you dance like nobody’s watching?

54. What’s your favorite song to sing in the shower?

55. What superpower would you most like to have?

56. Who, in your opinion, is the funniest comedian?

57. What’s your favorite meme?

58. Who’s your celebrity crush?

59. What’s the strangest dream you’ve ever had?

60. What’s the most disgusting habit you have?

61. What sport are you worst at?

62. What’s the funniest prank you’ve played on somebody?

63. What was your most embarrassing experience?

64. What song do you currently have stuck in your head?

65. What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever been given? 

66. What’s the worst outfit you’ve ever worn?

67. What picture would you be horrified for your crush to see?

68. What’s the funniest joke you’ve ever heard?

69. What conspiracy theory do you believe?

70. What habit do you find incredibly annoying?

71. Who would be the best person to be stuck in a broken-down elevator with?

72. Who would be the worst person to be stuck in a broken-down elevator with?

73. Do you enjoy horror movies or find them too scary?


Interesting

Ignite some thought-provoking exchanges and meaningful debates with these interesting conversation starters, and even learn a thing or two along the way.

74. Which locations are on your bucket list to visit?

75. What quirks did you inherit from your parents?

76. Do you believe that the monarchy should exist?

77. If you could have three celebrities or historical figures to your house for dinner, who would you invite?

78. When you were a child, what did you think you’d do as a job when you grew up?

79. What, in your opinion, is the best album of all time?

80. What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

81. What’s your biggest phobia?

82. What’s your best quality?

83. What’s your biggest weakness?

84. Do you prefer small talk or deep conversations?

85. What do you think will be the most influential invention in the next ten years?

86. What’s the first thing you’d do in case of a zombie apocalypse?

87. What’s your opinion on reality TV?

88. What app do you hope somebody invents?

89. When did you buy your first smartphone?

90. If you won the lottery, would you still work?

91. If you were given $500 immediately, would you buy something or save it?

92. If you were transported 50 years in the past without any of your belongings, how would you prove that you had come from the future?


Deep

Connect with someone on a very intimate and personal level with these deep conversation starters, and see what you can learn about each other and how much you’re willing to open up.

93. What’s your biggest regret in life?

94. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?

95. If you had to summarize your life in one word, what word would you choose?

96. What’s the best piece of advice somebody has given you?

97. Do you think there’s a purpose to life?

98. What’s the nicest gesture anybody’s ever done for you?

99. If a genie offered you three wishes, what would you choose?

100. Do you believe that social media has had an overall positive or negative effect on society?

101. How could your relationship with your family be better?

102. What do you spend the most time thinking about?

103. What did you recently learn that you wish you’d always known?

104. What have you learned from your previous romantic relationships?

105. If you could ask somebody a question that they had to answer honestly, who would you choose and what would you ask them?

106. What one thing do you think should be free for everyone?

107. What isn’t currently socially acceptable but should be?


Unique

Want to take the conversation in some truly creative and eyebrow-raising directions? Open up an exchange with a coworker, friend, or loved one with these unique conversation starters, and see where it takes you.

108. If you had to take one book, one movie, and one album to a desert island, what would you pick?

109. Would you rather stay 21 forever but only live for 80 years or be immortal but have your age stuck at 80?

110. What fashion trend that’s currently popular will be seen as embarrassing in ten years?

111. If you could change one of your personality traits, which one would you choose?

112. If you could go to university for free and have your living costs paid for, which subject would you study?

113. If you could do one illegal thing with a guarantee that you wouldn’t get caught, what would you do?

114. If you won the lottery, would you spend most of the money on material possessions or experiences?

115. What movie scene makes you cry every time without fail?

116. If you could add a subject you think is important to the school curriculum, what would you choose?

117. Who do you think is the greatest athlete of all time?

118. If you could only drink hot or cold drinks again (without getting dehydrated), which would you pick?

119. What are your top three favorite topics of conversation?

120. How would you feel if a picture of you was turned into an internet meme?

121. If you didn’t need to sleep, what would you do with the extra eight hours?

122. What celebrity scandal shocked you the most?

123. Do you have a signature dance move that you pull out at parties?

124. If you had the option to trade bodies with the opposite gender for a day, would you do it?

125. If you could only eat at one restaurant ever again, where would you choose?

126. What one household chore would you never want to do again if you had the choice?

127. Which actor would play you in a movie?


Kid-Friendly

Get your kids or a group of young children enjoying some fun, thought-provoking, and creative conversation by asking them some of these kid-friendly conversation starters, and see where their wonderful minds take things.

128. What’s your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

129. What’s your favorite pizza topping?

130. What do you want to do as a job when you grow up?

131. Do you prefer to watch or play sports?

132. Which animal are you most like?

133. What’s your favorite subject at school, and why?

134. What are you most looking forward to about growing up?

135. Do you believe in aliens?

136. If you could invent one subject at school, what would you choose?

137. If you could invent a brand new chocolate bar, what flavor would it be?

138. What’s your least favorite food?

139. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

140. What movie can you watch again and again without getting bored?

141. Who’s your favorite Disney character?

142. Do you believe in aliens?

143. Who’s your favorite teacher?

144. What qualities do you look for in a friend?


Professional

Keep things professional at work, at conferences, or at business meetings with these professional conversation starters, which aim to strike the perfect balance between openness and work-related topics.

145. What do you do for a living?

146. How long have you done your current job for?

147. Do you have a university degree?

148. What are your goals for the next five years?

149. Who has been the most influential figure in your professional career?

150. What are your favorite and least favorite things about living in your city/town/village?

151. What’s the first thing you do when you get home from work?

152. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

153. How would you describe yourself in three words as an employee?

154. If you had to choose any other sector to work in, which one would it be and why?

155. What current goals do you have outside of work?

156. Would you describe yourself as a high achiever?

157. What’s your favorite thing about your job?

158. What has been your greatest professional achievement?

159. If you could run your own business with no financial limits, what type of business would you run?

160. What do you do to de-stress after a busy day/week at work?

161. What was your first-ever job?

162. What’s the most useful professional advice you’ve ever received?

163. How do you stay productive throughout the day?

164. What part of your job motivates you every morning?

165. Do you prefer to work in the office or work remotely?

166. What’s your dream job?

167. Do you think workplaces nowadays have too many meetings?


Flirty

If you’re looking to get to know a first date or romantic interest a little better, keep things fun, interesting, and romantic with these flirty conversation starters.

168. What’s your type?

169. What’s your favorite thing about dating?

170. What do you look for in a potential partner?

171. How would your ex describe you?

172. If I could take you on a date right now, where would you like to go?

173. How many dates do you wait before a first kiss?

174. Do you like romantic gestures?

175. What are the pros and cons of dating apps?

176. What’s your favorite cheesy pick-up line?

177. How do you know when you’re falling for someone?

178. What’s your love language (e.g., physical affection, words, quality time, gestures)?

179. What’s your number one dealbreaker in a relationship?

180. What song best describes how you feel about me?

181. What rules are non-negotiable for you in a relationship?

182. Who was your first kiss?

183. What does love mean to you?

184. What is your best physical feature?

185. What’s your best personality trait?

186. Have you ever been in love before?

187. Which fictional character from a movie or TV show would you like to date?


More

There are so many ways you can have some fun, thoughtful, and gripping conversation with whomever you’re talking to. If you’re looking for some general ideas, keep some of these conversation starters in mind for the future.

188. Who’s the best band or musician you’ve seen live in concert?

189. What’s the best city you’ve ever visited?

190. Which celebrity couple do you wish would get back together?

191. What activities do you do to look after your mental health?

192. Who, if anybody, do you miss from your past?

193. What personal item could you not live without?

194. What food could you eat every day without getting sick of it?

195. What one joke always makes you laugh?

196. Who’s your oldest friend, and how did you meet them?

197. If your life had a theme/intro song, what would it be?

198. What was your least favorite subject at school?

199. What’s your favorite meal to cook?

200. What’s your favorite board game to play?

201. What was the best event you’ve ever attended?

202. Have you ever read somebody else’s diary or text messages?

203. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve posted on social media?

204. Would you rather be invisible for the day or be able to read minds?

205. Have you ever accidentally left something behind on a vacation?

206. Did you ever have an imaginary friend as a child?

207. Do you think age matters in an adult relationship?

208. What’s the worst dating story you have?

209. Which decade had the best fashion?

210. What movie universe would you most like to live in?

211. What’s the most dangerous situation you’ve ever been in?

212. Do you like spicy food?

213. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

214. What’s your favorite type of weather?

215. Have you ever injured yourself in an embarrassing way?


In a world of digital exchanges and social media comments, the art of conversation can be a tricky thing to right, no matter who you’re talking to.

With these conversation starters in mind, you’ll always be able to initiate conversation that is not only right for the moment, but interesting enough for the two (or more) of you to engage in and enjoy fully.

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Keep more than a few of these conversation starters in your back pocket, ready for whomever you’re looking to have a conversation with, by saving this article to one of your Pinterest boards.

Conversation starters list.