gossip

When someone talks about another person, the things that are said might be gossip. Gossip might be a combination of factual and false information, but whether or not the information is true, gossip can be harmful to the reputation of the person who is being talked about.

• My neighbor has all the latest gossip about what is happening in the neighborhood.
• Have you heard any of the latest gossip about Jennifer Lopez?
• Sarah wants to be in on all the gossip at work.
• A recent book about Donald Trump contains a lot of juicy gossip about him and his family.
• It’s not nice to spread gossip about someone.
• Gossiping can hurt a person’s reputation. (The word "gossiping" is a gerund in this sentence.)

The word "gossip" can also be used as a verb:

• The students are gossiping about the teacher.
• The neighbors gossiped about a new family that moved into the neighborhood. The gossip was unkind.
• It’s not nice to gossip about someone. ("To gossip" is an infinitive.)

The word "gossipy" is an adjective used to describe a person who likes to gossip.

• Clara is a very gossipy person.
• The office is full of gossipy people.
• After Todd developed a reputation for being gossipy, people who worked around him stopped sharing personal information of any kind.

There are a few other ways of referring to a person who gossips. You can use the words "gossip monger" or just "gossip."

• Todd is a gossip monger.
• Todd has a reputation for being a gossip.

At work they like to hang around the water cooler and gossip.

January 8, 2018