verb
tattle
TATL
Tattle (verb) means to gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business. Example: “The neighbours loved to tattle about everyone on the street.”
verb
1
To gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.
"The neighbours loved to tattle about everyone on the street."
2
(especially of children) To report someone else's misbehaviour to an adult or authority figure.
"His little sister tattled on him for sneaking out."
noun
1
Idle gossip, or a piece of tale-telling about someone's wrongdoing.
"Nobody took the playground tattle seriously."
How to use tattle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo gossip, or — especially for kids — to tell on someone.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
tattle on someone
idle tattle
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Word forms
- Plural
- tattles
- Third person singular
- tattles
- Past tense
- tattled
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The neighbours loved to _____ about everyone on the street.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch tatelen/tateren ("to babble, chatter"), an imitative word echoed across several Germanic languages.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for tattle
See all rhymes for 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.
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