🍛 A prepared food 🍽️ A shallow plate 📡 A signal antenna 🥣 A serving 🍲 To serve food 🗣️ To share gossip 😍 An attractive woman 🛞 To make concave

to dish

22 6.8

To talk about other people's private lives

verb
/dɪʃ/

: cotillear (España)

So this is our chance to dish on Matt Gorley while he's not here.
dish the dirt
dish gossip
dish stories

Examples

Tune in tomorrow when we dish about another type of boss: The Yeller.

Blog text (22)
Every month, BW will investigate a portion of the city to dish on past, present, and possible futures.

Blog text (24)
You want me to dish the dirty?

Victoria & Abdul (2017)
But, more importantly, I learned how to dish it out.

Avengement (2019)
You can dish it out but you can't take it?

Just Like Heaven (2005)
Come on, Cynthia, dish out the dirt.

Bad Dreams (1988)
My only caveat is that you shouldn't dish it out if you're not prepared to take it.

Blog text (23)
As for Josh, he's good at dishing it out but can't take it when it's returned.

Blog text (14)
Let's sit down and dish about what happened at the party last night.
During lunch, they like to dish on the latest celebrity news.

Synonyms

to chat

vsto dish

Informal

269 1.0

To talk in a friendly, informal way about small everyday things

focuses on talking about other people's private lives rather than general small talk

to chat about

vsto dish

Informal

40 1.6

To talk in a friendly, casual way about a subject

focuses on private lives rather than any particular subject

to converse

vsto dish

29 3.3

To talk with someone in a friendly way

involves discussing others' private lives rather than general conversation

to chit-chat

vsto dish

Informal

5 4.1

To talk in a friendly, light way about unimportant things

concerns private lives and sharing gossip rather than simple social talk

to tattle

vsto dish

Informal

1 7.1

To talk a lot about small unimportant things, often about other people

focuses on gossip about private lives rather than rapid trivial chatter

to dish the dirt

vsto dish

Informal

1 8.5

To tell private or bad things about someone to other people

focuses on casual talk about private lives rather than exposing secrets

to confabulate

vsto dish

Informal

8.7

To chat with others about small, unimportant things

focuses on talking about others' private lives rather than general unimportant chat

to jive about

vsto dish

Informal

8.5

To talk in a lively, informal way about things like music

is more about private lives and sharing gossip than lively casual talk

to talmbout

vsto dish

Slang

9.9

To talk about something in informal speech

is specifically about gossiping about private lives rather than general slang talk

Antonyms

to keep a secret

76 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

Phrasal Verbs

to dish out

Informal

28 3.4

To give out things to several people, often food or advice

to dish up

Informal

3 2.2

To serve food onto plates for people to eat

to dish the dirt

Informal

1 8.5

To tell private or bad things about someone to other people

to elevate a dish

5.0

To make food taste or look better by adding a small extra ingredient

to garnish the dish

3.4

To add small food items, like herbs or lemon peel, to a dish to make it look nicer

Compounds

side dish

19 1.0

A small food served with the main dish to add flavor

favorite dish

12 1.4

A meal you enjoy more than any other

dish towel

6 1.0

A cloth used to dry dishes after they are washed

signature dish

6 4.1

A dish a chef or restaurant is best known for

Petri dish

Specialized

5 4.1

A shallow round dish with a loose lid used to grow bacteria

chafing dish

4 6.4

A metal pan on a small heater used to cook or keep food hot at the table

serving dish

3 1.0

A dish used to hold food for people to share at the table

soap dish

3 1.0

A small tray that holds a bar of soap

butter dish

2 1.2

A small dish with a lid for keeping and serving butter at the table

dish rack

2 1.1

A rack that holds dishes after washing so the water drains off them

traditional dish

1 2.2

A food people in an area cook and eat for a long time

dish antenna

Specialized

1 4.1

A curved metal dish that directs radio or satellite signals to a single point

local dish

1 2.3

Traditional food from a certain place that people often eat there

deep-dish pie

1 2.7

A pie with a deep layer of fruit filling and a top crust

dish aerial

6.8

A curved metal dish that sends and receives signals from satellites

dish bitch

Offensive

9.9

A person who always washes the dishes at parties or family meals as a joke

alms dish

9.9

A shallow dish that people pass around during a religious service to collect money

experimental dish

6.3

A cooked food made in a new way to try out ideas

solar dish

Specialized

5.8

A large curved mirror that focuses sunlight to one point to make high heat for energy or experiments

staple dish

3.2

A common food people in a region eat often as a main part of meals

How Gossipy

to dish the dirt

Informal

1 8.5

to dish

22 6.8

to chat

Informal

269 1.0

to talk about

∞ 1.3

to mention

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

dish infinitive

dished past

dished past participle

dishing present participle

dishes third person singular

Etymology

To dish about someone means to share gossip, like 'serving' stories to others. Think of gossip as being served on a plate, which is why we use dish to mean talk about private things.