gossip

gos·sip (gäs′əp)

noun

Now Dial.
1. a godparent
2. a close friend
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

gos′·sipy adjective

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

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*.

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.

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