tattle
15 synonyms for tattle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
To gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.
“The neighbours loved to tattle about everyone on the street.”
How to use tattle
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
tattle on someone
idle tattle
Etymology
From Middle Dutch tatelen/tateren ("to babble, chatter"), an imitative word echoed across several Germanic languages.
Full origin of tattle →Frequently asked questions
What does “tattle” mean?
The word “tattle” means to gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business. In plain terms, to gossip, or — especially for kids — to tell on someone.
How do you pronounce “tattle”?
“Tattle” is pronounced TATL (/ˈtætl̩/ in IPA).
How do you use “tattle” in a sentence?
Here is “tattle” used in a sentence: “The neighbours loved to tattle about everyone on the street.”
What is another word for “tattle”?
Words with a similar meaning to “tattle” include informant, chatter, gossiper, clatfart, goss and gossip.
What part of speech is “tattle”?
Depending on how it is used, “tattle” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “tattle” come from?
The word “tattle” comes from Germanic. From Middle Dutch tatelen/tateren ("to babble, chatter"), an imitative word echoed across several Germanic languages.
How many meanings does “tattle” have?
“Tattle” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.
