gossip
/ˈɡɒsɪp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɑːsɪp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgä-səp/ (ame, mw) · /ˈɡɒs.ɪp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɑː.səp/ (ame, ipa)
gossip — noun
- gossipsingular
- gossipsplural
1. talk or written stories about the details of other people's lives, especially pa
talk or written stories about the details of other people's lives, especially parts that are personal, romantic, or embarrassing and that the people involved may not want to be shared publicly
The whole office loved to spread gossip about the celebrity who rented the penthouse.
collocation: spread gossip
Reema ignored the gossip about her and focused on finishing her project.
Most of what appears in those magazines is nothing but idle gossip.
Emre heard some juicy gossip about the merger during his lunch break.
Mira refused to repeat the gossip because she knew it was based on lies.
- rumours
more specific — unconfirmed stories circulating among people, not necessarily about personal lives
- hearsay
more formal or legal — secondhand information the speaker cannot verify
- tittle-tattle
informal and playful — trivial, unimportant gossip
常見錯誤
2. someone who often talks about the personal affairs of others and shares private
someone who often talks about the personal affairs of others and shares private details, usually viewed with disapproval because secrets are not safe with them
Old Mr. Chen was known as the neighbourhood gossip who knew everyone's business.
countable noun for a person
Sade quickly learned not to share secrets with her colleague, a terrible gossip.
often disapproving
Takeshi joked that his landlord was the biggest gossip in the entire building.
The villagers avoided the local gossip because she twisted every story she heard.
Nobody trusted the gossip at the hair salon after she spread lies about the mayor.
- busybody
stronger negative tone — someone who meddles in others' affairs
- scandalmonger
more dramatic — someone who spreads shocking or damaging stories
常見錯誤
3. light, relaxed conversation in social situations about everyday topics such as h
light, relaxed conversation in social situations about everyday topics such as hobbies, travel, or entertainment, without focusing on people's private secrets
The wedding reception buzzed with light gossip about everybody's summer plans.
light gossip = casual, not malicious
A few minutes of friendly gossip before the exam helped the students relax.
Anong and Luca shared harmless gossip about their favourite TV shows over coffee.
The afternoon tea was filled with gentle gossip about cooking and local news.
- chat
more neutral — casual conversation without any implication of talking about others
- chit-chat
very informal — light, unimportant conversation
- small talk
polite conversation about unimportant subjects, often in formal settings
- serious discussion
focused, in-depth conversation about important matters
gossip — verb
- gossippresent simple I / you / we / they
- gossips3rd person singular
- gossiping-ing form
- gossipedpast simple
1. to discuss the personal affairs of other people, especially in a way that spread
to discuss the personal affairs of other people, especially in a way that spreads details those people would prefer to keep private, or that is unkind
Emre and Reema gossiped about their new boss while waiting for the lift.
gossip about [someone]
The neighbours spent the whole afternoon gossiping on the front porch.
intransitive verb
Gita warned her classmates not to gossip about people behind their backs.
Asher caught two colleagues gossiping by the water cooler on Monday morning.
Renata and Luca gossiped about the new family next door while gardening.
- keep quiet
to remain silent and not share information
- mind one's own business
to avoid involving oneself in others' affairs
文法句型
gossip about [someone/something]
gossip with [someone]