tattle
/ˈtætl/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈætəl] /ˈtætl/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈætəl] /ˈta-tᵊl How to pronounce tattle (audio)/ (ame, mw)
tattle — verb
- tattlepresent simple I / you / we / they
- tattleshe / she / it
- tattledpast simple
- tattling-ing form
1. to tell a parent, teacher, or other person in charge that someone has done somet
to tell a parent, teacher, or other person in charge that someone has done something wrong, hoping that the wrongdoer will be punished.
Andrés tattled on his older brother for sneaking out of the house after midnight.
tattle + on + person
The teacher told the class she did not want anyone tattling during the spelling quiz.
Kabir never tattles, even when he sees a friend copying answers from another student's test.
Little Iris ran to her mother and tattled that her sister had taken the last cookie from the jar.
Inês refused to tattle on her classmates because she did not want anyone to get into trouble.
- cover up
to hide wrongdoing instead of reporting it
文法句型
tattle + on + person
用法筆記
Most common in children's contexts at home or school. Adult use is usually disapproving — calling someone a 'tattletale' accuses them of making trouble by reporting minor offences. The person reported is introduced by 'on'.
常見錯誤
2. to talk continuously about things that are not important, without a serious purp
to talk continuously about things that are not important, without a serious purpose.
Maeve and her cousin tattled about the price of eggs and whether the postman had put the letter through the right slot.
tattle + about + trivial topic
Niran's grandmother would tattle for hours about the weather and what the neighbours were cooking for dinner.
tattle + about + topic
Emma and Greta tattled away over cups of tea, discussing everything from fashion to old films.
Eli could hear the guests tattling in the kitchen while he finished setting the table.
- discuss
to talk about something seriously and in detail
文法句型
tattle + about + topic
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 ('TELL ON'): sense 2 has no element of reporting wrongdoing or involving an authority figure. It simply describes light, casual talk.
常見錯誤
tattle — noun
1. speech about everyday trivial matters — such as television shows or shopping — t
speech about everyday trivial matters — such as television shows or shopping — that has no serious purpose or value.
Joon and his cousin exchanged nothing but meaningless tattle about television shows and shopping lists.
adjective + tattle: 'meaningless tattle'
The manager told everyone to stop the office tattle and focus on the project deadline.
Cyrus grew bored with the endless tattle at the dinner table and excused himself early.
A steady stream of tattle came from the radio talk show while the cafe customers read their newspapers in silence.
- chatter
more common and neutral; 'tattle' is rarer and slightly dismissive
- prattle
emphasises childish or foolish quality of the talk
- small talk
neutral term for light conversation; implies politeness rather than dismissal
- substance
meaningful, important content
用法筆記
Uncountable — you cannot say 'a tattle' or 'tattles'. Use 'piece of tattle' if a countable form is needed. Closely overlaps with noun sense 2, but sense 1 emphasises trivial subject matter rather than personal content.
常見錯誤
2. talk about other people's personal or private affairs, often including details t
talk about other people's personal or private affairs, often including details that may be exaggerated or untrue.
The magazine was filled with tattle about famous actors and their messy divorces.
tattle + about + person
Tunde ignored the mean-spirited tattle spreading through the neighbourhood after the robbery.
adjective + tattle: 'mean-spirited tattle'
Lakshmi loved to listen to the tattle at the hair salon, even though she knew most of it was untrue.
Mrs. Fernandez dismissed the tattle about the principal as the jealous talk of a few unhappy teachers.
- fact
information that is known to be true
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 ('IDLE TALK'): sense 2 is specifically about other people's personal or private affairs, whereas sense 1 describes trivial conversation on any subject.