tattling

7.4

Often tells secrets or small mistakes about other people

adjective
/ˈtætəlɪŋ/

Offensive

: soplón

The tattling child was always quick to report on her classmates' mistakes.

Examples

No one liked to share secrets with the tattling neighbor down the hall.
A tattling employee can quickly undermine trust within a team.
Don't be so tattling about your friends' secrets.
She has a tattling nature that annoys everyone.
The tattling student often shared personal stories of her classmates with others.
Her tattling habit made her unpopular among her peers.
Everyone avoided confiding in him because he had a tattling reputation.

Synonyms

blabby

vstattling

Offensive

1 8.2

Talking too much and telling other people's secrets

is more about a habitual petty sharing of confidential information

snitchy

vstattling

Offensive

1 9.9

Likely to tell on others and make them feel hurt

is about gossiping habitually rather than informing as betrayal

talebearing

vstattling

Offensive

9.6

Often tells private things about people to others

is a habitual, petty form of revealing secrets

blabbermouthed

vstattling

Offensive

8.8

A person who talks too much and tells secrets

is focused on repeated petty gossip rather than general talkativeness

Antonyms

to keep a secret

76 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

discretion

57 4.6

Ability to make careful choices and keep private things secret

How Gossipy

gossipy

Informal

9 4.8

tattling

Offensive

7.4

talkative

33 2.5

discreet

115 5.8

reserved

3.7

Surface Forms

tattling positive

Morphology

tattling = tattle (transparent) = tattle + ing

Formed from the verb 'tattle' with the regular '-ing' suffix; learners who know 'tattle' will readily infer the adjectival meaning 'telling secrets'.

Etymology

Tattling comes from the word tattle, which is about telling small 'tales' or stories about other people. So a tattling person is someone who shares secrets or petty stories, often in a way that hurts trust.