gossip

[gos-uhp]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gossip¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gossip¹

Old English godsibb godparent, from _god + _sib ; the term came to be applied to familiar friends, esp a woman's female friends at the birth of a child, hence a person, esp a woman, fond of light talk

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

I have no CPA or financial advisers around, and no one to ask that won’t gossip about the money to people that live here.

Read more on MarketWatch

Walter Winchell, the feared and powerful gossip columnist, raged against her.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It was once the job of “sleazy” tabloids to destroy lives with lurid gossip that titillated the public but lacked public interest in the high-minded sense.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She says the assault has driven her away from church, where she fears she may be the subject of gossip.

Read more on BBC

The three of them proceed to talk about boring stuff like stock markets, coupons, and whatever else adults like gossiping about.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

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