- pronunciation:
- ga
sihp
- parts of speech:
- noun, verb
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
tales or talk about the personal lives and secrets of others when they are not present.
Don't believe what Pete told you, as it's only gossip.- similar words:
- hearsay, rumor, talk
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| definition 2: |
a person who often takes part in the telling of gossip.
Be careful what you tell her; she's a gossip.- synonyms:
- busybody
- similar words:
- magpie, snoop, tattletale
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| related words: |
chat |
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| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
gossips, gossiping, gossiped |
| definition: |
to take part in the telling of gossip.
The people in that office like to gossip about their boss when he is not around.- synonyms:
- nose into, pry, tattle
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| related words: |
babble, chat, tattle |
| derivations: |
gossipy (adj.), gossiper (n.) |
Gossip comes from
godsibb, an early English word for a godparent. Over time, "gossip" came to mean any close friend. By the late 1500s, the word was being used for someone who chatters about things of no importance. Today, most people would not like to be known as a "gossip."