gossip Hear it!

gossip Definition

gos·sip (gäsəp)

noun

  1. Now Dial.
    1. a godparent
    2. a close friend
  2. a person who chatters or repeats idle talk and rumors, esp. about the private affairs of others
    1. such talk or rumors
    2. chatter

Etymology: ME godsip, gossyp (with assimilated -d-) < Late OE godsibbe, godparent: see god & sib

intransitive verb

to be a gossip or engage in gossip

gossip Related Forms
gos·sipy adjective
gossip Synonyms

gossip

n.

  1. Local, petty talk

    babble, chatter, meddling, small talk, malicious talk, whispering gallery, hearsay, rumor, scandal, news, slander, calumny, defamation, injury, blackening, grapevine*, grapevine telegraph*.

  2. One who indulges in petty talk

    snoop, meddler, tattler, newsmonger, gossipmonger, scandalmonger, scandal-bearer, backbiter, magpie, chatterbox, talkative person, babbler, bigmouth, blatherskite, parrot*, long-nose*, sticky-beak*, blabbermouth*, telltale*, old hen*, fuss-budget*, Mrs. Grundy*, gabbler*.

gossip Synonyms

gossip

v.

tattle, prattle, tell tales, talk idly, chat, chatter, rumor, report, tell secrets, blab, babble, repeat, prate, spread a story all over town, dish the dirt*.

gossip Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • swap: Charles had bought along his hard redheaded wife Norma, and she was busy swapping malicious gossip with Emily.
  • spread: He deals with all my problems Himself and does not spread any gossip.

Adjective modifier

  • juicy: Anyway, I've got a bit of juicy gossip about one of the contestants, Michelle.
  • competitions...: MFR Frequency Exclusive competitions... gossip about MFR before anyone else... It's the MFR Frequency...
  • malicious: In the first case, Smith hears some malicious gossip about the past career of Jones.
  • scurrilous: More first-hand accounts of, or scurrilous gossip about, these events are eagerly awaited and will be linked in.
  • idle: The asylum centers are the breeding places of rumors and idle gossip.
  • hot: Tim Adams: When the story's over Hot gossip You've drunk too much.

Modifies a noun

  • columnist: So who cares about a date doctor except maybe a gossip columnist?
  • headline: Click image to view their profile Get the best daily celebrity gossip headlines!
  • column: On the facing page, in Spy, the gossip column, there are at least two cheering stories.
  • mag: Nor does he make the headlines in international gossip mags.
  • rag: Popular culture junkies and fans of gossip rags have gorged on the glamorous and public life of Tom Cruise over the past decade.
  • magazine: Q: We rarely read about you two in the gossip magazines?

Modifying Another Word

  • maliciously: He gossiped maliciously about John and rejected the teachers of the truth sent out by John.

Noun used with modifier

  • celebrity: Enter your details below Name: Email: The latest celebrity gossip from around the world.
  • showbiz: Chardonnay delivers the freshest showbiz news gossip right to your PC.
  • celeb: Moss goss - 04/03/03 Courtesy of Heat Magazine Fancy quizzing Kate Moss on all her top-notch celeb gossip?
  • girlie: Printed From: bikegirl Forum Name: Girlie gossip column Forum Discription: Chat about anything you want to.
  • village: He would tell me about the farm, about the village gossip.
gossip Quotes

Blood sport is brought to its ultimate refinement in the gossip columns.

—Ingham, Sir Bernard

Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it: it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.

—Eliot, George pseudonym of  MaryAnn Evans

Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.

—Jong, Erica ne¤  e Mann

It's anindulgencetosit ina roomand discuss yourbeliefs as if they were a juicy piece of gossip.

—Hellman, Lillian Florence

For pines are gossip pines the wide world through And full of runic tales to sigh or sing.

—Flecker,James Elroy

Widgongel wif word gespringeth. A roving woman gives rise to gossip.

—Anonymous

Browse dictionary entries near gossip

  1. gossan
  2. gossamer
  3. Goss, Porter
  4. gospodin
  5. Gosper, Bill and Greenblatt, Richard Team
  6. gospeler
  7. gospel
  8. gosling
  9. GOSIP
  10. Goshen
  1. gossipmonger
  2. gossoon
  3. gossypol
  4. got
  5. Gotama
  6. gotcha
  7. Goth
  8. Gotham
  9. Gothic
  10. Gothic arch