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”; see origin at god, sib

Explanation

Gossip is conversation that's light, informal, and usually about other people's business. It can be fun to gossip about others, but no one likes it when they're the subject of gossip. You can find people just about anywhere who love to chatter about the latest rumors and stories: they're gossips who love to gossip. You've probably seen all the celebrity gossip featured in the tabloids: stories about who's dating, marrying, divorcing, or having a baby. But don't trust everything you hear — gossip isn't always accurate, and often people spread untrue gossip just to mess with someone they don't like.

Example Sentences

Ship-spotting got its start as gossip in London’s 17th-century coffeehouses when the newly imported drink became fashionable among the professional classes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

A man masters his emotions, remains calm under pressure, refuses to engage in gossip or backbiting and accepts his imperfections while continually striving to become the best version of himself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

I wish I could tell you I got some good gossip, but there wasn't a single unguarded moment.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

So the Newsom and Cox campaigns opened a private back-channel, trading gossip, swapping insights on the race and even sharing some empirical data.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

I strained my ears to catch any good gossip she might have, but I couldn’t hear well enough to make sense of it.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

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