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gossipy

gossipy

9 4.8
Liking to talk about other people's private lives
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡɑːsəpi/
  • Informal
translation icon : chismoso
  • I'm not passing along these gossipy little tales for the fun of it, people.
  • gossipy tabloid
  • gossipy neighbor
  • gossipy tidbit

And they may frame you then as being someone who is mean spirited or petty or gossipy.

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Examples

  • Cold because I don't invite the town people here for barbecues or parties, take no part in their gossipy small world.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • The gossipy nature of the small town meant that everyone knew each other's business.

  • I mean, it's a gossipy sort of island.

  • No one is more gossipy than you people.

  • We younger girls were usually gossipy and critical, mainly to hide our adoration.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Like a private school, small towns can be very insular, gossipy, and closed to outsiders.

    Blog text (19)
  • And as in any small city, nothing entertains locals more than an old-fashioned, gossipy, lapel-grabbing, bridge-burning courthouse fight.

    Academic text (2007)
  • A new voice, belonging to a tall, strikingly handsome, richly dressed gentleman, intruded upon the gossipy circle around the hearth.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Strickland was a fussy, gossipy, excitable little man with pointed, ratlike ears and the physical mannerisms of an elderly woman.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • At the coffee shop, she always shares gossipy stories about the neighbors.

Synonyms

blabby
vsgossipy
  • Offensive
1 8.2

Talking too much and telling other people's secrets

enjoys discussing private affairs rather than only lacking discretion
blabbermouthed
vsgossipy
  • Offensive
8.8

A person who talks too much and tells secrets

enjoys sharing gossip about others rather than merely being indiscreet
bigmouthed
vsgossipy
  • Offensive
6.8

A person who talks too much and tells other people's secrets

enjoys talking about private lives in a casual unconstrained way

Antonyms

3.7

Not willing to show feelings or talk much

How Gossipy

gossipy
  • Informal
9 4.8
talkative
33 2.5

Surface Forms

gossipy positive
gossipier comparative
gossipiests superlative

Morphology

gossipy = gossip (transparent) = gossip + y

Standard adjective formation from the noun 'gossip' with -y meaning 'characterized by' so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Gossipy comes from gossip, which long ago meant a 'godparent' or close friend who sat with a mother at a birth and chatted with others. Because those friends often shared private news and small talk, gossipy now describes someone who likes to talk about other people's private affairs.