gossip

verb

gossiped; gossiping; gossips

intransitive verb

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

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 sponsor at a baptism. 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 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.

Synonyms of gossip

• talk

Examples of gossip in a Sentence

They spent the afternoon gossiping on the phone.

They often gossip with each other about their neighbors.

Recent Examples on the Web

On Friday night, the United Talent Agency, along with Vulture, held their yearly elegant soiree, bringing in people from across the scene, with actors, producers, and agents gabbing and gossiping about the past year in Broadway and beyond. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 June 2026

Reading these conversations feels like attending a party at which each new guest talks over the one before, disputing and undermining, gossiping and bringing into doubt the fundamental purpose of their coming together. —Joe Dunthorne, The New York Review of Books, 6 June 2026

Andy Cohen has spent much of his career gossiping about other people’s love lives. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

The Newport in my book, and also in my memory, is a place where people gossip. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

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