gossip

American  

[gos-uhp] / ˈgɒs əp /

noun

1. idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.

   the endless gossip about Hollywood stars.

   Synonyms:

   chitchat, palaver, hearsay, small talk

2. light, familiar talk or writing.

3. Also gossiper, gossipper. a person given to tattling or idle talk.

   Synonyms:

   rumormonger, chatterer

4. Chiefly British Dialect. a godparent.

5. Archaic. a friend, especially a woman.

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verb (used without object)

gossiped, gossipped, gossiping, gossipping

1. to talk idly, especially about the affairs of others; go about tattling.

   Synonyms:

   palaver, prate, prattle, chatter

verb (used with object)

gossiped, gossipped, gossiping, gossipping

1. Chiefly British Dialect. to stand godparent to.

2. Archaic. to repeat like a gossip.

gossip British  

/ ˈɡɒsɪp /

noun

1. casual and idle chat

   to have a gossip with a friend

2. a conversation involving malicious chatter or rumours about other people

   a gossip about the neighbours

3. Also called: gossipmonger.  a person who habitually talks about others, esp maliciously

4. light easy communication

   to write a letter full of gossip

5. archaic a close woman friend

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verb

1. to talk casually or maliciously (about other people)

Related Words

Gossip, scandal apply to idle talk and newsmongering about the affairs of others. Gossip is light chat or talk: to trade gossip about the neighbors. Scandal is rumor or general talk that is damaging to reputation; it is usually more or less malicious: The town never lived down the election scandal.

Other Word Forms

• gossiper noun
• gossiping noun
• gossipingly adverb
• gossipy adjective
• intergossip verb
• ungossiping adjective

Etymology

Origin of gossip

First recorded before 1050; Middle English gossib, godsib(be), Old English godsibb, originally “godparent,” equivalent to god + sibb “related”; god, sib

Example Sentences

If Dad is losing his mind, gossiping about his mental state probably isn’t helpful.

From Literature

Busy markets sold butchered meats and fast-wilting vegetables, horse carts clattered, children shouted, and men and women gossiped in coffeehouses and read from printed newspapers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Then it is gossip — gossip from within our world, gossip from outside of our world.

From Los Angeles Times

This intelligent novel is instead interested in the effects of gossip, bias and assumptions, and the ways that a single set of facts can be used to construct completely different conclusions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Folks talked for a while, until they found other things to gossip about.

From Literature

Related Words

• buzz
• chatter
• chitchat
• conversation
• hearsay
• news
• scandal
• slander
• tale