gab

1 of 3

verb

gabbed; gabbing

intransitive verb

: to talk in a rapid or thoughtless manner : chatter
gabber noun

gab

2 of 3

noun (1)

: talk
especially : idle talk

gab

3 of 3

noun (2)

Examples of gab in a Sentence

Verb spent the time she should have been working gabbing with friends instead
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Trump’s tendency to gab meant that minimizing his time on the witness stand was a no-brainer. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2023 The series mimics the formula of most wellness podcasts—each episode features a topic such as skin care or sleep, and the hosts gab about various products—but the conversation takes sudden digressions, plumbing the ways in which a mind, addled by the industry, struggles to know peace. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2021 And right in the middle is Piano’s architectural intimation of what a museum is for: The entire building is organized around a soaring central courtyard with a smattering of cafe tables, where students and locals alike study, work, or gab happily in a cool wash of daylight pouring in from above. Murray Whyte, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2022 On the show, Phil and his co-hosts gab in crisp accents about pawn sacrifices and variations on the Sicilian Defense with the rowdy bonhomie of lads closing down a pub. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 13 July 2022 But a backyard chat or gab through gridlock won’t offer the kind of help many individuals need. Washington Post, 5 May 2022 Of course, there’s a lot more to gab about this week than inspirational sports stories, so read on. Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2021
Noun
Writers tend to have a gift for writing but not for gab. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024 Throw in Howell-Baptiste’s very funny loquacious gab, Arterton’s enigmatic iciness, Elgar’s deliciously off-kilter viciousness and a believably raw turn from Abboud and there’s a good core here, one diminished by the strained logic as the series progresses. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2023 The world of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, the pulps Ellroy loved as a child, and his own private California are distilled into a gab, a grammar for brutality, shame, misogyny, and unresolved mourning. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 The two gab away while Kris measures, shakes and spears the ingredients. Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 26 June 2023 That’s when the two men with gifts for gab on top of gab began crossing paths. Brent Zwerneman, ExpressNews.com, 22 Dec. 2020 Pop jams ranging from ABBA to Doja Cat play in the background as the quintet gabs gleefully about everything from Three’s Company to O’Hara’s adorable dachshund puppy, Princess Pink, who makes occasional appearances nearby. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 7 June 2023 Just when their gab gets long-winded, the Kids strike bizarro gold by cutting to McDonald and Foley dressed as grotesque aliens gleefully celebrating the end of Earth’s fax-machine-defense system with a strike order. Jill Krajewski, Vulture, 24 May 2022 Amin is a young spotter with the gift of the gab. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

of uncertain origin

Note: Perhaps continuing a divergent sense of Middle English gabben "to speak mockingly, scoff, tell lies" (borrowed from Anglo-French gaber "to mock, sneer at," ultimately from Old Norse gabba) if occurrences in Chaucer, perhaps meaning "to speak foolishly, talk nonsense," are the same verb. However, the scarcity of attestation between Chaucer and the 18th century, when gab appears in Scots, suggests that Modern English gab is a new onomatopoeic formation, akin to gabble.

Noun (1)

derivative of gab entry 1

Noun (2)

by shortening

First Known Use

Verb

1786, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1761, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gab was in 1761

Dictionary Entries Near gab

Cite this Entry

“Gab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gab. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gab

verb
ˈgab
gabbed; gabbing
: to talk idly : chatter
gab noun
gabber noun

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