gossip

1 of 2

noun

gos·​sip ˈgä-səp 

1

a

dialectal British : godparent

b

: companion, crony

c

: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others

the worst gossip in town

2

a

: rumor or report of an intimate nature

spreading gossip about their divorce

b

: a chatty talk

c

: the subject matter of gossip

Their breakup was common gossip.

gossipry

ˈgä-sə-prē 

noun

gossip

2 of 2

verb

gossiped; gossiping; gossips

intransitive verb

: to relate gossip (see gossip entry 1 sense 2a)

gossiper noun

Did you know?

Merriam-Webster here, your one and only source for the juicy history of the English lexicon (including gossip, girl). It’s no secret that gossiping often involves discussing the intimate details of other people’s lives, but did you know that the origins of gossip are a bit more chummy, and even a tad divine? Word on the street is that the Old English word sibb, meaning “relative” or “kinsman,” long ago combined with the word god (meaning, well, “god”) to form godsibb, which referred to a person who was spiritually related to another, specifically by being a baptismal sponsor. Today we call such a person a godparent. Over the centuries, godsibb changed both in form and in meaning. In Middle English, gossib came to be used for a close friend or chum as well as for a godparent. From there it was only a short step to gossip, a word for anyone—not just a friend, relative, or sponsor—known for spilling the tea. By the early 17th century, gossip had expanded into the verb use that has been the talk of the town ever since.

Did you know?

Old English sibb, meaning “relative” or “kinsman,” came from the adjective sibb, “related by blood” (the ancestor of modern English sibling). Old English godsibb was a person spiritually related to another, specifically by being a sponsor at baptism. Today we call such a person a godparent. Over the centuries, godsibb changed both in form and in meaning. Middle English gossib came to be used for a close friend or crony as well as for a godparent. From there it was only a short step to the gossip of today, a person no longer necessarily friend, relative, or sponsor, but someone filled with irresistible tidbits of rumor.

Synonyms

Noun

• circulator
• gossiper
• gossipmonger
• newsmonger
• quidnunc
• talebearer
• tale-teller
• telltale
• yenta

Verb

• blab
• dish
• talk
• tattle
• wag

Examples of gossip in a Sentence

Noun

He had been spreading gossip about his coworkers.

the latest news and gossip from the entertainment industry

She writes a gossip column in the paper.

I like having a good gossip now and then.

Verb

They spent the afternoon gossiping on the phone.

They often gossip with each other about their neighbors.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Send your questions, comments and gossip to [e-mail]. —Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 14 Dec. 2024

Callas first met Onassis in 1957 at a party hosted by socialite and gossip columnist Elsa Maxwell. —Katie Mannion, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Verb

Baseball fans still gossip about which players might be flouting the tobacco ban. —Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024

With a trip to Bali two days away and tensions remaining high, the women are naturally gossiping about how to logistically navigate women who cannot help but get into it with each other the second a Champagne flute touches her lips, with voice messages and FaceTime calls abound. —Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English gossib, from Old English godsibb, from god god + sibb kinsman, from sibb related — more at sib

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1627, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

gossip

noun

gos·​sip

ˈgäs-əp

1

: a person who reveals personal or sensational facts

2

a

: rumor or report of a personal nature

b

: chatty talk

gossip verb

gossiper noun

gossipy

-ə-pē

adjective