gossip
Americannoun
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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
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light, familiar talk or writing.
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Also gossiper, gossipper. a person given to tattling or idle talk.
- Synonyms:
- rumormonger, chatterer
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Chiefly British Dialect. a godparent.
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Archaic. a friend, especially a woman.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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Chiefly British Dialect. to stand godparent to.
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Archaic. to repeat like a gossip.
noun
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casual and idle chat
to have a gossip with a friend
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a conversation involving malicious chatter or rumours about other people
a gossip about the neighbours
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Also called: gossipmonger. a person who habitually talks about others, esp maliciously
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light easy communication
to write a letter full of gossip
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archaic a close woman friend
verb
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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ungossipingadjective
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gossipyadjective
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gossipinglyadverb
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intergossipverb
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gossipernoun
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gossipingnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have gossippedperfect
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have gossipedperfect
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has gossipedperfect 3rd person singular
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has gossippedperfect 3rd person singular
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is gossippingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are gossippingprogressive
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are gossipingprogressive
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am gossippingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been gossipingperfect progressive
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have been gossippingperfect progressive
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has been gossippingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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gossipingparticiple
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gossipssingular 3rd person
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is gossipingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am gossipingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been gossipingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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gossippingparticiple
Past
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had gossippedperfect
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had gossipedperfect
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were gossippingprogressive plural
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were gossipingprogressive plural
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gossipedparticiple
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was gossipingprogressive singular
-
had been gossipingperfect progressive
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gossippedsimple
-
gossippedparticiple
-
was gossippingprogressive singular
-
had been gossippingperfect progressive
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gossipedsimple
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing gossip
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 2
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Simply Scandalous!
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Sula
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Gigi always held court and, like good Southerners, we would not only share important life updates but also gossip over iced drinks.
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
Johnson’s mother, Griffith, did appear to give her seal of approval to the musician, however, stating in a video that was posted by the gossip account DeuxMoi that she thought he was “fabulous.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
School districts have been implementing phone bans because of classroom distraction as well as students using them to film fights, spread gossip and bully one another.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
The movie kicks off as a casual portrait of the vacant nouveau riche lifestyles of the mini-oligarchs: fancy dinners, divorces, bathroom gossip.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
As usual Beth lay on the sofa and Laurie sat in a low chair close by, amusing her with all sorts of gossip, for she depended on her weekly ‘spin’, and he never disappointed her.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
