Synonyms for gossip
- noun
- verb
Most common
chatter chat chit-chat babble tittle-tattle scandal-monger hearsay
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Chatter — idle conversation in general
chatter, chat, chit-chat, babble, small talk, tattle, prattle, natter, twaddle, scuttle-butt, blab, blabber, blather, hot air, gab, palaver, cackle, waffle, clack, chin wag, magpie, gabble
2. Tittle-tattle — someone who likes to talk about other people's private or personal business
rumor monger US, rumourmonger UK, tittle-tattle, scandal-monger, blab-tale, blab-tongue, tale bearer, busy body, tell-tale, tattler, gossiper, gossipmonger, newsmonger, tattletale, blabbermouth informal, meddler, carrytale, rumourer UK, rumorer US, tale-teller, quidnunc dated, tabby dated
3. Rumor — idle talk about someone’s private or personal matters, especially about someone not present
rumor US, rumour UK, hearsay, scandal, buzz, word, whispering, tale, whisper, dirt, on dit, bruit dated
Verb
1. Chew the fat — to talk idly
chew the fat informal, visit, confab, jaw, confabulate, chaffer, shoot the breeze slang US
2. Dish the dirt — to talk about someone else's private or personal business, especially in a manner that spreads the information
dish the dirt informal, spill the tea informal
Definitions
- n. 1
Someone who likes to talk about other people's private or personal business.
Be careful what you say to him: he’s a bit of a gossip.
- n. 2
Idle talk about someone’s private or personal matters, especially about someone not present.
I have a juicy piece of gossip to share with you.
- v. 1
To talk about someone else's private or personal business, especially in a manner that spreads the information.
- v. 2
To talk idly.
Related words
- Word family
- gossiper gossipful gossiphood gossiply gossip-prone gossipred gossipy
- Phrases
- gossip mill gossip mirror
- Is a kind of
- speak
- Other spellings
- godsib godsip
Choose the right word
To gossip is to talk of petty personal matters, as for pastime or mischief.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- chat Ziri and Rima continued to chat about their lives.
- chatter She finds comfort in silence rather than chatter.
- babble She didn't pay attention to her husband's babble.
By length
- 3 letters
- jaw1, gab1
- 4 letters
- talk1, word1, chat1, tale1, dirt1, buzz1, blab1
- 5 letters
- visit2, rumor2, tabby2, clack1, bruit
- 6 letters
- friend1, rumour2, waffle2, magpie2, babble2, cackle2, tattle2, natter2, confab, gabble, kibitz
- 7 letters
- comment2, scandal2, sponsor2, whisper2, chatter2, hearsay2, prattle2, blather2, palaver, twaddle2, blabber2, meddler, tattler2, chaffer
- 8 letters
- gossiper3, rumourer, quidnunc
- 9 letters
- carrytale
- 10 letters
- whispering3, tattletale, newsmonger
- 11 letters
- confabulate
- 12 letters
- blabbermouth, rumourmonger, gossipmonger
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (visit2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- commérage