Definition of gossipnext
1
as in gossiper
a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others because her friend was such a compulsive gossip, she couldn't help but wonder if her private life wasn't also being made the talk of the town

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2
3
as in rumor
information or opinion that is widely disseminated without any authority or confirmation of accuracy idle gossip can really damage a person's reputation even if it is later proven to be false

Synonyms & Similar Words

gossip

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gossip
Noun
According to internet gossip, Cusk’s M is in fact a shadow portrait of Natalie Portman. Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 Perhaps an excited friend lets on about a surprise party, or a co-worker dishes up some unseemly office gossip. Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
Though the official line was that the star had a flu, many gossiped that the hospitalization was due to substance abuse. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026 Mary McCarthy gossips more frankly about people Robert Lowell mentions. Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gossip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gossip
Noun
  • Celebrity gossiper Rob Shuter reported that the two recently let go of a number of their staff.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Her staff figured out how to get rid of the gossiper.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Tech Challenges While the chair’s speech and the sideline chatter about economic and political events frequently dominate news from the symposium, Jackson Hole is also an important forum for high level debate on economic research.
    Maria Eloisa Capurro, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In a sprightly performance rife with oddball mannerisms, Gnecco gives Borges equal parts impish wisdom, earthy vulgarity and childlike wonder, rarely letting a moment’s silence go unfilled with eager chatter.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • To be eligible to play Power Four college sports now means to breathe; there are rumors that a group of ghosts from the 1907 Pitt Panthers is suing the NCAA to play another year.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Future risks As news of Wednesday’s disaster along the border spread, so did rumors that the incident was the result of a dam burst on China’s side of border.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Fleming by body camera footage, approached Parker, who was talking on his cellphone.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe a family watches a favorite performer together, while nearby strangers start talking because someone forgot sunscreen and their friend packed enough for six people.
    Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Kids arrive at stores with opinions already shaped by group chats, AI tools and social feeds, and preferences can flip quickly once the season is underway.
    Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Despite a dizzying number of podcasts, the sports world lacks wry, newsy video chats of true depth, at least since Around the Horn went off the air.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • If this is true, the anonymous e-mailer, who worked at Domino’s with Webb, had inflated a report of some harmless chitchat between Crosby and her tenants into an actionable violation of jurors’ instructions not to discuss the case.
    James Lasdun, New Yorker, 26 May 2026
  • For decades, late-night TV has introduced trailblazers trying to break, or reinvent, the staid routine of stand-up monologues and celebrity chitchat.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gossip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gossip. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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