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 Noun (1) a car salesman with the proverbial gift for gab
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Without meddling, the BTV cast would probably just split into PPG and non-PPG — or by gender — and gab for even longer on how asparagus makes your pee smell weird. Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025 Chatting with the Oscar winner about her go-to wide-leg jeans (the trend-setter has been going barrel since before the denim style gained mass appeal) was like stepping into that scene in every Nancy Meyers movie where the gals gab about divorce over a buttery chard. Brie Schwartz, Glamour, 27 May 2025 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 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 Ahead of the audiobook’s May 7 release, and a promotional tour that Wilson admitted is poised to put their love of chat to the ultimate test, the authors spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about all things gab. Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 These conversations teach a person how to gab and, perhaps more importantly, how to respond to spicy information. Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Noun
Having a gift for gab definitely helps pass the time between bites, Hinrichs says. Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 16 Aug. 2025 The latest gab session was instead devoted to taking questions from the fans — which led to a surprising story about a rock & roll legend. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 18 May 2025 The first without the second risks turning the board into a gab session of conceptual ideas that never gain traction. Doug Sundheim, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025 And as the resident gossip expert, no one is more equipped to handle the trickiest aspects of gab, even when gossip just might be the villain of the story. Kelsey McKinney, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2025 As Eden gabs, the pair inch across and climb over rows in search of maximum comfort and no moisture. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 Writers tend to have a gift for writing but not for gab. Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gab. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

gab

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

More from Merriam-Webster on gab

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