gossip
B1Informal/Neutral
Definition
Meaning
Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as true.
A person who engages in or is fond of such conversation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The noun can refer both to the act/conversation and to a person. While often negative (spreading rumours), it can have a neutral or even positive social bonding connotation in informal contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. The term 'gossip column' (newspaper feature) is common in both. The verb form is equally frequent.
Connotations
Slightly stronger negative judgement in AmE; BrE may use it more lightly for general chat.
Frequency
Comparably high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
gossip about + person/topicgossip with + persongossip that + clause (reported rumour)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Gossip is a fearful thing.”
- “a gossip mill”
- “gossip column”
- “spread like wildfire (often applied to gossip)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Generally negative, referring to unproductive talk that can damage morale or reputations. 'We need to stop the office gossip and focus on the project.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing. Used in social sciences to analyse informal communication networks.
Everyday
Very common for discussing people's private lives, rumours, or casual social chat.
Technical
In IT, 'gossip protocol' refers to a process of computer peer-to-peer communication.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They spent the afternoon gossiping over the garden fence.
- She was gossiping about the new neighbours.
American English
- They were gossiping in the break room about the layoffs.
- Don't gossip behind people's backs.
adverb
British English
- They talked gossipingly about the affair.
- (Note: Rarely used. More common to use phrases like 'in a gossipy way'.)
American English
- She leaned over gossipingly to share the news.
- (Note: Rarely used.)
adjective
British English
- She writes for a gossip column in a tabloid.
- The show is just gossip fodder for the press.
American English
- He's a gossip columnist for a celebrity website.
- It was a gossip-filled article with no real facts.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I heard some gossip about my friend.
- Stop the gossip, please.
- The office gossip was that the manager was leaving.
- She loves to gossip with her sister on the phone.
- Malicious gossip can ruin a person's reputation in a small community.
- The journalist refused to write a piece based on mere gossip.
- Anthropologists study gossip as a mechanism for social bonding and enforcing group norms.
- The rumour mill churned out salacious gossip which was quickly debunked by the official statement.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine two gossips sipping tea: 'Goss SIP' – they sip tea while they gossip.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOSSIP IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE (it spreads), GOSSIP IS A COMMODITY (it is exchanged, has value), GOSSIP IS WEAPONRY (it can harm).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'сплетня' only – 'gossip' is broader and can be the person. 'Gossip' as a verb has no direct single-word equivalent; use 'сплетничать'. Avoid calquing 'говорить gossip'.
- The word 'слухи' (rumours) is closer to the content, not the act.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'gossip' as a countable noun for a single fact: 'He told a gossip' (INCORRECT) -> 'He told a piece of gossip' or 'He gossiped'.
- Confusing verb patterns: 'They gossip each other' (INCORRECT) -> 'They gossip with each other' or 'They gossip about each other'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'gossip column'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. While it often has a negative connotation (spreading rumours), it can be neutral, referring to light social chat that helps build relationships, e.g., 'We had a coffee and a good gossip.'
Yes, but usually in the sense of 'a person'. For the conversational content, it's usually uncountable. You can say 'She's a gossip' (person) but 'That's just gossip' (uncountable information). You can make it countable with a phrase: 'a piece of gossip' or 'bits of gossip'.
A rumour is a specific story or piece of information that may not be true. Gossip is the broader activity of talking about others, which often involves sharing rumours. Gossip is the process; a rumour is often the content.
In formal contexts, words like 'hearsay', 'unsubstantiated reports', or 'informal communication' might be used, but they lack the social and conversational nuances of 'gossip'.