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

To gossip or chatter, especially about other people's business.

"The neighbours loved to tattle about everyone on the street."

(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

Idle gossip, or a piece of tale-telling about someone's wrongdoing.

"Nobody took the playground tattle seriously."

How to use tattle

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo gossip, or — especially for kids — to tell on someone.

Easily confused with

tattletale →

Common pairings

tattle on someone idle tattle

Word forms

tattled past tense, tattles plural, tattles singular

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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.

Origin: Germanic

Synonyms

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informant chatter gossiper clatfart goss gossip gossipry labrish scuttlebutt tale skeet tidbit

Related words

information talk story talking speak click comment twitter

Rhymes for tattle

cattle battle rattle prattle Seattle

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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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Words with germanic origins

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