gossip
gb/ɡˈɑsəp/ us/ɡˈɑsəp/
B1
English
~ 9200
pletyka, pletykálkodik, pletykál, pletykás, pletykafészek
NOUN
B1
1
pletyka
B1
Usage pattern:
hear [gossip] about [someone]
The tabloid is full of celebrity gossip and scandals.
A bulvárlap tele van sztárpletykákkal és botrányokkal.
Office gossip spreads quickly, so be careful what you say.
Az irodai pletyka gyorsan terjed, ezért vigyázz, mit mondasz.
She enjoys listening to neighborhood gossip over coffee.
That's just idle gossip; nobody actually knows what happened.
He became the target of nasty gossip after he left the company.
Learner examples
I don't want to hear any more gossip about my coworkers.
Nem akarok több pletykát hallani a munkatársaimról.
There was a lot of gossip about their sudden wedding.
Sok pletyka keringett a váratlan esküvőjükről.
She read the latest gossip about movie stars online.
He hates being the subject of gossip.
They spent the whole lunch break sharing gossip.
Common mistake:
Learners often treat 'gossip' as a countable noun and say *many gossips* instead of 'a lot of gossip' or 'many pieces of gossip'. Another mistake is using the wrong preposition: say 'gossip about someone', not *gossip of someone*.
Meaning
talk about others' private lives
Collocations
spread gossip
|juicy gossip
|idle gossip
|office gossip
|celebrity gossip
|a piece of gossip
Synonyms
rumor (A specific story that may not be true; gossip is often more general chatting about people.)
|
chatter (Light, continuous talk; not always about other people's private lives like gossip usually is.)
Antonyms
privacy (When personal information is kept private instead of being talked about as gossip.)
|
fact (Information that is known to be true; gossip is often unconfirmed or partly invented.)
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|work
|media
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Talk about other people's private lives, often when it is not kind or not fully true.
Informal talk or reports about other people's private lives, often unkind, unnecessary, or not completely true.
B1
2
pletykál
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] gossips about [someone]
They spent the whole afternoon gossiping about their classmates.
Az egész délutánt azzal töltötték, hogy az osztálytársaikról pletykálkodtak.
I don't want to gossip about her; it's her private life.
Nem akarok róla pletykálkodni; ez az ő magánélete.
The two receptionists were gossiping in the hallway instead of working.
He likes to gossip about celebrities he has never met.
People in small towns often gossip if they see anything unusual.
Learner examples
She loves to gossip about her friends.
Szeret a barátairól pletykálni.
We sat in the kitchen and gossiped for hours.
A konyhában ültünk, és órákig pletykáltunk.
Please don't gossip about my family.
They were gossiping about their new boss.
He never gossips because he thinks it is rude.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *gossip someone* instead of 'gossip about someone'. The verb is almost always followed by 'about' when you mention the person or topic.
Meaning
talk about others' private lives
Collocations
gossip about coworkers
|gossip about neighbors
|gossip endlessly
|love to gossip
|stop gossiping
|caught gossiping
Synonyms
chat (General friendly talk; it does not necessarily focus on other people's private lives like gossip does.)
|
dish (Informal slang meaning to share personal or scandalous information about others; more playful than 'gossip'.)
Antonyms
keep quiet (To choose not to say anything, especially about someone else's private life.)
|
keep someone's secret (To deliberately not tell other people private information, the opposite of gossiping about it.)
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|work
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To talk about other people's private lives, often when it is not kind or not fully true.
To talk about other people's private lives, often in a way that is unkind, unnecessary, or not completely true.
NOUN
B2
3
pletykás
B1
Usage pattern:
call [someone] a gossip
Everyone in the office knows that Mark is a terrible gossip.
Az irodában mindenki tudja, hogy Mark borzasztóan pletykás.
I don't want to be seen as a gossip, so I keep my opinions to myself.
Nem szeretném, ha pletykásnak tartanának, ezért megtartom magamnak a véleményemet.
The village gossip knew every detail of their relationship.
She's a bit of a gossip, but she means no harm.
Try not to sound like a gossip when you talk about their problems.
Learner examples
My aunt is a real gossip.
A nagynéném igazi pletykafészek.
He is a gossip and tells everyone our secrets.
Pletykás, és mindenkinek elmondja a titkainkat.
I don't want to be friends with a gossip.
In a small town, one gossip can hurt many people.
She used to be a gossip, but now she is more careful.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the general 'talk' meaning and say *many gossips* when they mean 'a lot of gossip'. Use 'a gossip' to mean one person who gossips, and 'gossip' (uncountable) to mean the talk itself.
Meaning
person who gossips a lot
Collocations
a terrible gossip
|such a gossip
|village gossip
|be known as a gossip
|a bit of a gossip
|local gossip
Synonyms
rumormonger (Someone who actively spreads rumors, often more negative or deliberate than a typical gossip.)
|
blabbermouth (Informal; someone who cannot keep secrets and tells other people's private information.)
Antonyms
confidant (A trusted person you tell secrets to, who is expected not to spread gossip.)
|
a discreet person (Someone who carefully does not share private information about others.)
Themes
daily life
|relationships
|character
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Someone who often talks about other people's private lives, usually when it is not kind or not needed.
A person who frequently talks about other people's private lives, often in an unkind or unnecessary way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
gossip
IPA
GB/ɡˈɑsəp/
US/ɡˈɑsəp/
Syllables & stress
gos - sip (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (gos)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: gossip
- Plural: gossip, gossips
Word family
Forms
gossips
noun
Related words
gossipy
adjective
gossiper
noun
Expressions
celebrity gossip
1/səlˈɛbɹɪti ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
gossip about famous people
Gossip about the private lives of actors, singers, and other famous people.
Examples
- The website is dedicated to celebrity gossip.
- She relaxes by reading celebrity gossip online.
- Celebrity gossip sells a lot of magazines.
gossip column
1/ɡˈɑsəp kˈɑləm/
fixed phrase
newspaper/magazine section with gossip
A regular part of a newspaper, magazine, or website that gives gossip, usually about famous people.
Examples
- He writes a weekly gossip column for a major tabloid.
- I only buy that paper for the gossip column.
- Her affair was revealed in a popular gossip column.
gossip magazine
1/ɡˈɑsəp mˈæɡəzˌin/
fixed phrase
magazine focused on gossip
A magazine that mostly contains gossip, especially about celebrities and their private lives.
Examples
- She bought a gossip magazine at the airport.
- Gossip magazines often exaggerate their stories.
- He was embarrassed to see his photo in a gossip magazine.
have a gossip
1/hˈæv ə ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
informal
spend time chatting with gossip
To sit and talk in a relaxed way, sharing gossip with someone.
Examples
- Let's have a coffee and have a gossip later.
- They met every Friday to have a gossip about work.
- She called her friend to have a gossip about the party.
idle gossip
1/ˈaɪdəl ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
unimportant, casual gossip
Gossip that is not important and not meant to cause harm, often just for passing time.
Examples
- The comments were just idle gossip and should not be taken seriously.
- He dismissed the rumors as idle gossip.
- Don't worry; it's nothing but idle gossip.
juicy gossip
1/d͡ʒˈusi ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
informal
very interesting or shocking gossip
Gossip that is very interesting, often shocking or exciting to hear.
Examples
- Do you have any juicy gossip about their breakup?
- The magazine is full of juicy gossip about TV stars.
- She called me with some juicy gossip from the office party.
juicy gossip
1/d͡ʒˈusi ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
informal
exciting gossip about people
Juicy gossip is very interesting gossip.
Examples
- They always have juicy gossip after work.
- I’m trying to avoid juicy gossip and focus on facts.
- He hinted at some juicy gossip but wouldn’t say more.
Learner examples
- I heard juicy gossip.
office gossip
1/ˈɔfɪs ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
gossip in the workplace
Gossip that workers in the same office or company share about each other's private or work lives.
Examples
- Office gossip can make new employees feel uncomfortable.
- She tries to stay away from office gossip.
- The promotion became the main subject of office gossip.
spread gossip
1/spɹˈɛd ɡˈɑsəp/
fixed phrase
tell gossip to more people
To tell other people gossip so that more and more people know it.
Examples
- She loves to spread gossip about her neighbors.
- Spreading gossip in the workplace can create a very negative atmosphere.
- He apologized for spreading gossip that turned out not to be true.