tattle
1 of 2verb
tat·tle ˈta-tᵊl 
tattled; tattling ˈtat-liŋ
ˈta-tᵊl-iŋ
intransitive verb
1
chiefly US : to tell secrets about what someone else has done : blab
2
: chatter, prate
transitive verb
: to utter or disclose in gossip or chatter
tattle
2 of 2noun
1
: idle talk : chatter
2
: gossip
Synonyms
Verb
- blab
- dish
- gossip
- talk
- wag
Noun
- buzz
- dish
- gossip
- hearsay
- noise
- report
- rumor
- scuttlebutt
- talk
- word
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb those neighborhood busybodies, constantly tattling and whispering over their backyard fences Noun she claims to have picked up some juicy tattle about the celebrity couple
Recent Examples on the Web
New York Times, 18 Dec. 2021 This is the only way to tattle to the lead: The accusation is specific and limited in scope, the offense just happened, and there are presumably witnesses to the bad behavior. Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2021 In essence, said Richard Scott Carnell, a former Treasury Department official, Molyneux was selling Euro Pacific as a firm that will not tattle to tax authorities. Matthew Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2020 The email was, in effect, asking residents to tattle on each other for failing to socially distance. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2020 Polling his colleagues, Fowler found that sites had tattled to Facebook about their visits to a sperm measurement service, medical insurers and a credit agency. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2020 Priests, seminarians and former seminarians described in interviews a climate of self-censure, with men often tattling on one another and gossiping rather than speaking openly. Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2019 Turns out some professor just made a funny on Twitter calling Stephens a bedbug (context: the Times has bedbugs) and the latter lost his mind over it and tried to get the poor guy fired by tattling to his provost. Michael Andor Brodeur, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2019 Back with the guys, Garrett’s ready to tattle on Luke P., telling the men that — as expected — Luke was dishonest with them. Joyce Chen, refinery29.com, 20 June 2019 Brooke Allen, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 Without a healthy dose of historical linguistics, Freeman said, English studies would fill up with distasteful tittle-tattle. Christopher Tayler, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 There was a time when people, perhaps naively, considered newspapers a cut above chat-show tattle, more reliable, more likely to get at something beyond mere opinion. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 4 Feb. 2022 Let this be a lesson to all future tattle-tales: Use your words when explaining the drama dujour, if not for the lead's sake, for your own. Martha Sorren, refinery29.com, 14 June 2021 Independent thinkers retreat to great books, which never tattle or subtweet or bully or, most importantly, bore you to death. Stefan Beck, Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2021 Lady Whistledown, the pseudonymous writer of Bridgerton’s tittle-tattle rag, is voiced by Julie Andrews, just as the CW’s mysterious blogger had Kristen Bell as its narrator. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2020 The following day there was an article in the Washington Post — and instant tittle-tattle everywhere: the president had been planning to meet Solzhenitsyn but had been persuaded not to, and there would only be a lunch with a group of dissidents. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, National Review, 17 Nov. 2020 For all her tattle, Mrs. Tittlemouse knew not of the coronavirus pivot. Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 11 Oct. 2020 See More
Verb
The post went on to imply that the Common Application — the third-party manager of applications for lots of colleges — could tattle to other schools if an applicant broke an early decision agreement. New York Times, 18 Dec. 2021 This is the only way to tattle to the lead: The accusation is specific and limited in scope, the offense just happened, and there are presumably witnesses to the bad behavior. Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2021 In essence, said Richard Scott Carnell, a former Treasury Department official, Molyneux was selling Euro Pacific as a firm that will not tattle to tax authorities. Matthew Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2020 The email was, in effect, asking residents to tattle on each other for failing to socially distance. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 21 Apr. 2020 Polling his colleagues, Fowler found that sites had tattled to Facebook about their visits to a sperm measurement service, medical insurers and a credit agency. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 3 Feb. 2020 Priests, seminarians and former seminarians described in interviews a climate of self-censure, with men often tattling on one another and gossiping rather than speaking openly. Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2019 Turns out some professor just made a funny on Twitter calling Stephens a bedbug (context: the Times has bedbugs) and the latter lost his mind over it and tried to get the poor guy fired by tattling to his provost. Michael Andor Brodeur, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2019 Back with the guys, Garrett’s ready to tattle on Luke P., telling the men that — as expected — Luke was dishonest with them. Joyce Chen, refinery29.com, 20 June 2019 Noun
But the real interest of this book lies not in its colorful tittle-tattle but in its richness as psychodrama. Brooke Allen, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 Without a healthy dose of historical linguistics, Freeman said, English studies would fill up with distasteful tittle-tattle. Christopher Tayler, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 There was a time when people, perhaps naively, considered newspapers a cut above chat-show tattle, more reliable, more likely to get at something beyond mere opinion. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 4 Feb. 2022 Let this be a lesson to all future tattle-tales: Use your words when explaining the drama dujour, if not for the lead's sake, for your own. Martha Sorren, refinery29.com, 14 June 2021 Independent thinkers retreat to great books, which never tattle or subtweet or bully or, most importantly, bore you to death. Stefan Beck, Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2021 Lady Whistledown, the pseudonymous writer of Bridgerton’s tittle-tattle rag, is voiced by Julie Andrews, just as the CW’s mysterious blogger had Kristen Bell as its narrator. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2020 The following day there was an article in the Washington Post — and instant tittle-tattle everywhere: the president had been planning to meet Solzhenitsyn but had been persuaded not to, and there would only be a lunch with a group of dissidents. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, National Review, 17 Nov. 2020 For all her tattle, Mrs. Tittlemouse knew not of the coronavirus pivot. Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 11 Oct. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle Dutch tatelen; akin to Middle English tateren to tattle
First Known Use
Verb
1547, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2
Noun
circa 1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing tattle
Kids Definition
tattle
verb
tat·tle ˈta-tᵊl
tattled; tattling
: to tell on someone
tattle 1 of 2
noun
as in rumor
information or opinion that is widely disseminated without any authority or confirmation of accuracy she claims to have picked up some juicy tattle about the celebrity couple Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- rumor
- gossip
- talk
- report
- whisper
- whispering
- hearsay
- scuttlebutt
- noise
- dish
- buzz
- word
- tale
- rumbling
- hint
- intimation
- propaganda
- scandal
- disinformation
- urban myth
- dirt
- urban legend
tattle
2 of 2verb
as in to gossip
to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature those neighborhood busybodies, constantly tattling and whispering over their backyard fences Synonyms & Similar Words
- gossip
- talk
- blab
- dish
- tell
- wag
- rumor
- snitch
- divulge
- reveal
- spill the beans
- disclose
- hint
- report
- confide
- blabber
- circulate
- imply
- inform
- spill
- squeal
- suggest
- intimate
- babble
- let on
- insinuate
- bandy (about)
- tip (off)
- noise (about or abroad)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shut up
- clam up