What does gossipmonger mean?
Gossipmonger is a noun for a person who spreads gossip, especially private, personal, or sensational information that other people may prefer to keep confidential. The word is commonly used with disapproval: calling someone a gossipmonger suggests not merely repeating an occasional rumor but making a habit of trafficking in other people’s business. It is informal in tone and occurs in both British and American English, with broadly similar usage. A gossipmonger may operate in an office, school, neighborhood, family, or any close social group, where the circulation of small pieces of news can have real social consequences. The compound form makes the idea especially vivid: “monger” suggests a dealer or trader, while “gossip” identifies the commodity. Consequently, “gossipmonger” tends to sound more sharply critical than related terms such as “gossiper” or “tattletale,” even though all three can refer to someone who spreads information. The word is useful because it names both the activity and the socially troublesome role associated with it, and it signals that the speaker regards the behavior as excessive or untrustworthy.
nounA person who spreads gossip, especially private or sensational information that others may have intended to keep confidential.
- A person who spreads gossip, particularly confidential or sensational information about other people.
"Instead of asking him directly, she checked with the office gossipmonger."
"Her aunt had always been a gossipmonger, unable to resist repeating anything she heard."
"The committee hired an outside investigator after an office gossipmonger circulated allegations about the director."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s.
"A group of gossipmongers quickly spread the rumor throughout the building."
A gossipmonger is, quite literally, a dealer in other people’s news.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gossipmonger come from?
Gossipmonger was formed in English in the early nineteenth century by combining gossip with the noun monger. Gossip itself entered Middle English through Old French from late Latin, ultimately from a term meaning “godparent” or “godchild.” In gossipmonger, monger functions as a dealer or trader, so the compound evokes someone who traffics in gossip.
Related word forms
How gossipmonger is actually used
Informal and generally disapproving. The word suggests more than merely telling a friend something; it implies a habitual appetite for circulating other people’s private information.
Easily confused with gossipmonger
Gossip is the information or talk being circulated, whereas a gossipmonger is the person who spreads it.
A gossiper is generally a broader, less strongly disapproving term, while gossipmonger more clearly suggests a habitual and disapproved habit of spreading gossip.