noun

gossip

GO-sihp

noun

Casual talk about other people's private affairs, often unverified or spread out of curiosity.

"The office was buzzing with gossip about the merger."

"She never believes gossip without checking the facts."

A person who habitually talks about others' private business.

"He's a terrible gossip — nothing stays secret around him."

verb

To talk about other people's private lives, often spreading rumors.

"They sat gossiping about the new neighbors for an hour."

How to Use Gossip

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishChit-chat about other people's private lives — as a noun (the talk, or the person who spreads it) or a verb (to do it).

Common mistake

Uncountable when it means "talk" ("some gossip," not "a gossip" in that sense) but countable when it means the person ("she's a gossip").

Common pairings

juicy gossip spread gossip gossip about someone

Word Forms

gossiped past tense, gossipped past tense, gossips plural, gossips singular

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The office was buzzing with _____ about the merger.

Etymology

From Old English godsibb, originally meaning "godparent" (literally "God-relative"). Over time, close family friends and godparents who chatted about family matters gave the word its modern sense of idle talk about others.

Synonyms

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blab cag chelp clepe dish dish the dirt fetch and carry labrish jaunder talk talk out of turn tattle

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talk dish speak tell silence blab confess vex

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