The ability to start and hold conversations is one that millions around the world wish to possess. Perhaps you are going on a date with someone that you barely know, or you are meeting with a group of people for the first time. The success of your meeting might largely depend on how successfully you can hold their attention. In this post, I will be showing some of the best conversation starters that I have used; with a large degree of success.
You can use these conversation starters to know more about your date: it can even be used as a game with friends, with each person asking another these probing questions. Without further ado, here are 250+ conversation starters for anyone looking to hold an enjoyable conversation.
These conversation starters are divided into sections; from starters for any situation, to questions for someone you just met, to starters for really deep conversations, and so on.
Conversation Starters for Any Situation
- Tell me about yourself.
- Have you done anything exciting lately?
- What made you smile today?
- How did you meet the host?
- What’s your favorite form of social media?
- What was the last good book you read?
- Do you listen to any podcasts? Which is your favorite?
- What do you think is the best show on Netflix right now?
- Have you been on any interesting trips lately?
- What do you think has been the best movie of the year so far?
- What song do you wish you could put on right now?
- Are you a cat person or a dog person?
- Do you think you’re an introvert or an extrovert?
- If you didn’t have the job you have now, what would you be?
- What’s your strangest hidden talent?
- What is something people are always surprised to learn about you?
- What is the most rewarding part of your career?
- Where do you want to be in five years?
- What superpower do you wish you could have?
- Where would you go on vacation if you had no budget?
- If you could travel back in time, what decade would you choose to live in?
- What’s the best thing you’ve ever bought off Amazon?
- What’s the last concert you went to?
- What is one thing you can’t live without?
- What’s the strangest dream you’ve had recently?
- What is your favorite book of all time?
- How many countries have you been to?
- What’s your favorite city you’ve visited?
- Would you rather travel via plane or boat?
- Would you rather be really hot or really cold?
- What are your thoughts on the British royal family?
- Do you like documentaries? Have you watched any good ones recently?
- Who is your favorite celebrity couple ever?
- Which celebrity couple do you wish would get back together?
- If you could host a talk show, who would you have on first?
- What’s your favorite sport?
- What sport do you wish you were really good at?
- What’s the best holiday?
- How did you spend your last birthday?
- Do you believe men and women can ever just be friends?
First Time You Meet Someone Conversation Starters
- Are you having a good time?
- Why did you come tonight?
- Was it a pain for you to get here tonight?
- I love that shirt/jacket/dress/shoes. Where did you get it?
- Wow, it’s so hot/cold in here.
- Do you know a lot of people here?
- What are you reading right now?
- What’s your favorite restaurant around here?
- What’s the next exciting event you have coming up?
- Doing anything fun this weekend?
- Do you have any pets?
- What’s one interesting thing about yourself no one really knows?
- What do you do for a living?
- If you could move anywhere, where would you go?
- What was the last movie you saw?
- What do you normally do for fun?
- What hobby do you wish you had more time for?
- If you weren’t here, what would you be doing?
- What is your favorite holiday?
- Do you have any nicknames?
- What’s your biggest pet peeve?
- What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?
- Tell me three fun facts about yourself.
- The food looks great. What’s the best thing you’ve had so far?
- Have you ever been here before?
- What’s the best thing about your job?
- Where did you grow up?
- Do you like to cook?
- What hobby do you wish you were good at?
- What song have you had stuck in your head this week?
Conversation Starters for a Deep conversation
- Where’s your life headed?
- How do you think you will die?
- What are the highest and lowest points of your life?
- What is holding you back from being the person you want to be?
- How have your strengths help you to succeed? How have your faults hindered you?
- What are your biggest goals for your life? What progress have you made in attaining them?
- Who are you really? Who is behind the mask that you show to the rest of the world?
- How would you react if there was irrefutable proof that God doesn’t exist? How about if there was irrefutable proof that God does exist?
- Are humans better at creation or destruction?
- What are the best and worst parts of human nature?
- What aspects of humans have made us a successful species?
- What makes people believe absurd conspiracy theories?
- What’s something terrifying that we’ve all come to accept as a fact of life?
- If you had to sum up the whole human species in 3 words, what would those words be?
- What is the best way to explore human nature: psychology, philosophy, or biology?
- Is human nature constant, or is it molded by culture? Can human nature be completely changed by culture or society?
- Is what we perceive reality or just a construct of our minds? Can our minds correctly interpret reality or is reality subjective?
- Is tribalism and people separating themselves into “us” and “them” groups, a learned or genetic trait? Can it be overcome? If so, how?
- How does tribalism and creating in groups and out-groups (e.g. race, religion, sport team fans, people with a hobby, etc.) help and hurt society?
- If pressing a button meant you received 10 million dollars, but it also killed 5 people somewhere in the world, would you press it? What if it killed only 1 person or killed 20 people? What if the people were people you knew?
- Can people with vastly different cultural backgrounds live together peacefully? How?
- What does honor mean to you? How important is it to you? Does your culture value honor? What exemplifies honor in your culture?
- How important are morals in a healthy society? What are the most important morals for citizens to have?
- In the distant past, a person’s life was very similar to their grandparents’ and grandchildren’s lives. How has the rapid pace of technological advancement changed society?
- Do people have an obligation to help others or should people be responsible for helping themselves?
- What are the most important factors in maintaining a well-functioning society? What does it mean for a society to function well?
- What does the ideal life look like?
- What does it mean to die well?
- Who do you know who is living life to the fullest?
- If you were given an envelope with the time and date of your death inside, would you open it?
Conversation Starters When Networking
- How did you hear about this event?
- What was the first job you ever had?
- What’s a good place to eat around here?
- What are you reading right now?
- How was your commute here?
- What fun plans do you have for the weekend?
- What cool conferences have you attended?
- How long have you been at your current job?
- What’s the most fun project you’ve ever worked on?
- Did you hear about (insert latest news topic)?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Have you ever won an award?
- How old were you when you had your first job?
Funny Conversation Starters
- If you were in a circus, which character would you be?
- What is the worst advice you have given?
- What is one thing you should never say at a wedding?
- What is the worst pickup line you have ever heard?
- If you could only store one type of food in your pocket, what would you carry?
- What is the worst present you have ever received, and why?
- If you were a farm animal, which would you be and why?
- Do you ever sing in the shower?
122 What is the worst piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
- What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you recently?
- Tell me about the worst pickup line you’ve ever gotten.
- What is your favorite celebrity scandal right now?
- What’s the worst thing you’ve ever worn?
- If you could do anything illegal without getting in trouble, what would it be?
- What is the stupidest joke you’ve ever heard?
- When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?
- What’s the best prank you’ve ever played on someone?
- What do you think is the funniest movie ever?
- What always makes you laugh, even when you’re upset?
- Who is your favorite comedian?
- What weird conspiracy theory do you believe?
- Is a hot dog a sandwich?
- Which celebrity would play you in a movie about your life?
- What’s the weirdest thing you loved as a child?
- What is something that’s really popular right now that will be ridiculous in five years?
- What’s the worst trend you’ve ever taken part in?
- What’s your go-to joke?
- What is the worst first date you have ever been on?
- Have you ever stalked someone on social media?
- What is the best part about taking a selfie?
- What is your favorite celebrity scandal?
- If you could do anything illegal without getting caught, what would you do?
- What is the weirdest food combination you’ve ever tried?
- Did you have an imaginary friend? What was his/her name?
- Have you ever had a dream where everyone was in their underwear?
- Have you ever been on a blind date?
Conversation Starters For Talking to Kids
- If you could make up a school subject, what would it be?
- What is your very favorite letter of the alphabet? Why?
- If someone gave you 20 dollars, what would you buy with it?
- If you had a chance to eat dessert for breakfast every day, what dessert would you choose?
- What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?
- Which animal at the zoo do you like best?
- If your friend is sad, what do you do to make them feel better?
- If you had the opportunity to invent a new ice cream flavor, what would it be?
- What is the silliest thing someone has ever said to you?
- What’s your idea of a perfect playground?
- What’s your favorite word?
- Would you switch roles with your parent if you had the chance?
- When was the last time you used the words “thank you”?
- If you had a robot for the entire day, what would you ask it to do?
- Do you prefer cold weather or hot weather?
- If you never had to eat one vegetable, which would it be?
- What was the last thing that made you smile?
- What is your favorite part about school? Your least favorite?
- How do you make friends?
- Who makes you laugh the most?
Conversation Starters On A First Date
- How did you become close with your best friend?
- What’s your favorite movie that you could watch over and over again?
- What has always been your dream job?
- If you could date one celebrity, who would it be?
- Are you a spender or a saver?
- What do you like most about your job?
- What do you think is your most annoying quirk?
- What’s the weirdest text message you’ve ever gotten?
- What do you hate the most about dating?
- Where’s your favorite place in the world?
- What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?
- How close are you with your family?
- Do you prefer to stay in or go out?
- Where did you go to school?
- Have you ever lived anywhere else?
- What are you good at that you’re really proud of?
- What’s your secret talent?
- What do you think is the most annoying habit?
- Tell me about one thing on your bucket list.
- What do you dislike most about your job?
- What are you the most passionate about?
- Do you like calling or texting better?
- What are your honest thoughts about social media?
- What do you look for in a relationship?
- Did you hear about (a big news story)?
- What is one thing that made you laugh this week?
- What’s your favorite food?
- What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?
- What movie are you really excited to see?
- How do you spend your free time?
- Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Strange Conversation Starters
- If you could be on a different planet tomorrow, which planet would you choose?
- Do you think when you die your soul dies too?
- If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do today?
- If you could be a superhero which one would you be?
- If you had to get stuck in a video game, which one would you choose?
- Would you rather be a famous actor or politician?
- Would you rather throw up or have a severe stomach ache?
- Would you rather be fully heartbroken and ruined for life or never love?
- Would you rather die young and happy or old and depressed?
- Would you rather be a drug addict or a murderer?
- Would you rather be able to fast forward or rewind time?
- Would you rather be able to fly or breathe underwater?
- Would you rather have the ability to teleport or read minds?
Dinner Party Conversation Starters
- When you die, what do you want to be reincarnated as?
- What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?
- What was your worst “foot in mouth” moment?
- Who would you swap lives with for a day?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
- What is the strangest gift you have ever received?
- What is the funniest gift you have ever given?
- What are three fun facts about yourself?
Conversation Starters For A Family Gathering
- What time would you travel to?
- What is one thing you can’t live without?
- What is your least favorite chore?
- What is your earliest memory?
- Who are you most thankful for and why?
- Where do you want to go on the next family vacation?
- What’s the nicest thing a family member has ever done for you?
- What was the biggest punishment you’ve ever received?
- If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
- What would be the first thing you would do if you traded places with your family member?
Conversation Starters At A Bar
- What drink do you suggest I get?
- How do you get to X place from here?
- Where is a good place to get food around here?
- I’m NAME, what’s your name?
- Are you having a good time?
- Batman or Superman, who would win?
- This song is so overplayed, I’d rather hear X. How about you?
- What’s the worst thing one can say on a first date?
- What made you laugh this week?
- Are you having a good evening?
- What do you think of this place?
- Which song would you make you dance at this very moment?
- How do you always get a bartender’s attention?
- Would you ever dance on top of this bar?
- Have you ever done karaoke?
- I like your shirt, where did you get that?
- How do you know the friends you’re here with?
- Do you know so-and-so?
- What made you laugh today?
Conclusion
So there you have it: 250+ conversation starters. Use these to have a great conversation with friends and strangers.