Definition

Verb (informal, idiomatic): To gossip, especially in a malicious or revealing way; to spread rumors or tell secrets about someone's private life.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to describe the act of sharing sensational, often private or scandalous, information about others. It implies the information is being shared for entertainment or to damage a reputation, not for a legitimate purpose. It is almost always negative in connotation.

Examples

• "The tabloids love to dish the dirt on celebrities."
• "I don't trust her; she's always ready to dish the dirt about her coworkers."
• "They promised not to dish the dirt about what happened at the party."

Advanced Usage

• The verb "dish" in this idiom means to serve or provide information, as one would serve food.
• "The dirt" is a slang term for scandalous, shameful, or secret information.
• The idiom is often used in continuous tenses or with modal verbs to describe a tendency or willingness to gossip.

Variants and Related Words

• Dish (verb, informal): Can be used alone to mean "to gossip" or "to criticize," often followed by "on."
  • Example: "She spent the whole lunch dishing on her ex-boyfriend."
• Dirt (noun, informal): Scandalous or malicious gossip; compromising information.
  • Example: "The journalist was digging for dirt on the politician."

Synonyms

• Gossip
• Tattle
• Spill the beans (on someone)
• Tell tales (out of school)

Antonyms

• Keep a secret
• Be discreet
• Protect someone's privacy

Related Idioms

• Air someone's dirty laundry: To make someone's private problems public.
• Spill the tea: (Modern slang) To share gossip or the truth, especially of a sensational nature.

Verb

1. wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies
   • She won't dish the dirt