Gossip slips into our lives, wrapping itself around conversations by the water cooler and whispers in hallways. It’s that secret spice in social interactions, adding a dash of intrigue, a touch of humor. Every word shared has the power to connect us, sometimes even break us.
But gossip isn’t just idle chatter. It’s a mirror reflecting human nature, a lens showing our delight in stories and secrets. In this article, we gather the best quotes on gossip — words that capture its essence and impact.
Best Gossip Quotes
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” – Marie Curie
“Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.” – George Eliot
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears.” – Unknown
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” – Spanish Proverb
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” – Erica Jong
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” – Frank A. Clark
“People who judge others are actually the ones who are afraid themselves of being judged.” – Anonymous
“Gossip, even when it avoids the sexual, bears around it a faint flavor of the erotic.” – Patricia Meyer Spacks
“There isn’t much to be seen in a little town, but what you hear makes up for it.” – Kin Hubbard
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” – Will Rogers
“Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” – Paulo Coelho
“Men have always detested women’s gossip because they suspect the truth: their measurements are being taken and compared.” – Erica Jong
“Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don’t.” – Earl Wilson
“The wicked always talk from a place of evil; they revel in the misfortune of their peers.” – John Green
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” – Liz Smith
“Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.” – Proverb
“The trouble with gossip is that it makes you part of the problem.” – David Icke
“Gossip is the devil’s radio.” – George Harrison
“When there’s so much to admire in people, why waste time talking about their faults?” – Anonymous
“I have Social Disease. I have to go out every night. If I stay home one night I start spreading rumors to my dogs.” – Andy Warhol
“What is it about men that they never grow up? Fresh gossip, and they come alive.” – Donna Leon
“The easiest way to make somebody feel bad is to try and make them feel good.” – Unknown
“Gossip is a plague that consumes the character of others and leaves our own marred by the disease of wasteful conversation.” – Unknown
“A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way.” – John Tudor
“Remember, gossip is like fire. Once it’s sparked, it quickly spreads and leaves a trail of destruction in its wake.” – Original
“The tongue has no bones, but it is strong enough to break a heart. So be careful with your words.” – Unknown
“Gossip is the worst of poison: it works slowly and in the most unexpected places.” – Original
Funny Gossip Quotes
“Gossip is the devil’s radio.” – George Harrison
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t invent with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” – Joseph Conrad
“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” – Bertrand Russell
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” – Will Rogers
“I never gossip. I observe. And then relay my observations to practically everyone.” – Original
“Nothing trivializes one’s dignity like gossip.” – Original
“There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.” – Oscar Wilde
“If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.” – Alice Roosevelt Longworth
“Let’s face it, gossip is a collision of speculation and imagination, but never evidence.” – Original
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” – Liz Smith
“Gossip, after it reaches a certain point of insult and falsehood, becomes its own refutation.” – Original
“Hearsay is often known as heresy.” – Original
“Everyone loves a scandal. The only problem with them is they usually involve other people.” – Original
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” – Erica Jong
“Gossip chains the human mind to its pettiness.” – Original
“There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde
“Good gossip is like a virus—once it starts, it’s nearly impossible to stop.” – Original
“Gossip is called gossip because it’s not always the truth.” – Justin Timberlake
“It isn’t what they say about you, it’s what they whisper.” – Errol Flynn
“A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.” – Original
“Gossip is the opium of the people.” – Erica Jong
“Anyone who will gossip to you, will gossip about you.” – Spanish Proverb
“To mind your own business incorporates the whole duty of man.” – Brigham Young
“Gossip is what you hear and what you say, and what goes around, comes around eventually.” – Original
“Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.” – Proverb
“Gossip is the tool of the insecure and the bored.” – Original
“Gossip is like a virus: it can infect anyone, anytime, anywhere.” – Original
“A little gossip in a big town is like a spark in dry grass.” – Original
“Remember, people only rain on your parade because they’re jealous of your sun and tired of their shade.” – Original
Famous Gossip Quotes
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t invent with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” – Erica Jong
“People will question all the good things they hear about you but believe all the bad without a second thought.” – Unknown
“To talk without thinking is to shoot without aiming.” – Greg O’Brien
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip comes to you free; the bad part is that it costs you dearly.” – Algerian Proverb
“Anyone who will gossip to you will gossip about you.” – Unknown
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” – Frank A. Clark
“Gossip is the devil’s radio.” – George Harrison
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” – Mark Twain
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” – Joseph Conrad
“When it comes to gossip, I have to readily admit men are as guilty as women.” – Marilyn Monroe
“What others say about you is none of your business.” – Jack Canfield
“Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don’t.” – Earl Wilson
“Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.” – Proverbs 20:19
“The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” – Bertrand Russell
“Gossip is the luxury of the idle and the envious.” – Unknown
“Those who gossip with you will gossip about you.” – Turkish Proverb
“If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.” – Khalil Gibran
“Gossip is like ice cream: We love it, but it melts away quickly.” – Unknown
“Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it: it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.” – George Eliot
“Be careful who you share your weakness with. Some people can’t wait for the opportunity to use them against you.” – Unknown
“What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.” – Phyllis Diller
“The word ‘gossip’ derives from the Old English term ‘godsibb’, meaning the godparent at one’s baptism.” – Etymology Reference
“Gossip is never fatal until it is denied.” – Booth Tarkington
“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde
“Gossip is the social mosquito for those who can’t stand the serenity of solitude.” – Original
“The biggest liar in the world is They Say.” – Douglas Malloch
“Gossip, as usual, was one-third right and two-thirds wrong.” – L.M. Montgomery
Inspirational Gossip Quotes
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” — Will Rogers
“Gossip, as usual, was one-third right and two-thirds wrong.” — L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” — Erica Jong
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” — Marie Curie
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.” — Wayne Dyer
“People will question all the good things they hear about you but believe all the bad without a second thought.” — Unknown
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” — Walter Winchell
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” — Joseph Conrad
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” — Spanish Proverb
“Gossip is the tool of the idle and ineffectual.” — Marcel Proust
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” — Will Rogers
“Gossip is a kind of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.” — George Eliot
“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” — Nishan Panwar
“If it weren’t for the gossip, we wouldn’t get any news at all.” — Liz Smith
“Talk shows are important to us because they fill a gap in the gossip market.” — Oliver Reed
“It wasn’t about being happy or sad. Sometimes, you just wear a faсade to keep others from gossiping.” — Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
“Gossip happens because people don’t have anything better to do. Mind your own business and work on your goals.” — Unknown
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” — Frank A. Clark
“Gossip is the air we all breathe – but it can be a poison.” — Jane Austen
“Gossip is just a tool to distract people who have nothing better to do from feeling envious of those who have something to do.” — Unknown
“The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.” — Dave Barry
“The biggest liar in the world is They Say.” — Douglas Malloch
“To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully. The more mainstream my audience became, the more I found myself drawn to the folks who were outsiders.” — Barack Obama
“Gossip is a plague that consumes the soul.” — Rumi
“Gossip is never fatal until it is listened to.” — Dr. Earl Lee
“Gossips are worse than thieves because they steal another person’s dignity, honor, reputation, and credibility.” — Unknown
“Do not repeat anything you will not sign your name to.” — Unknown
“Words have no wings, but they can fly a thousand miles.” — Korean Proverb
“Rumor grows as it goes.” — Virgil
“Gossip is the Devil’s radio.” — George Harrison
Thought-Provoking Gossip Quotes
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.” – George Eliot
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” – Marie Curie
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” – Joseph Conrad
“People will question all the good things they hear about you but believe all the bad without a second thought.” – Unknown
“Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious.” – B.C. Forbes
“It is just as easy to betray a secret as it is to keep it.” – Leona Sonnenschien
“Gossip is nature’s telephone.” – Sholom Aleichem
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” – Frank A. Clark
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” – Socrates
“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” – Bertrand Russell
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” – Walter Winchell
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don’t.” – Earl Wilson
“Gossip isn’t scandal and it’s not merely malicious. It’s chatter about the human race by lovers of the same.” – Phyllis McGinley
“I never gossip. I observe. And then relay my observations to practically everyone.” – Gail Carriger
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” – Spanish Proverb
“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” – Nishan Panwar
“If you’re spreading gossip, you’re part of the problem. If you’re listening to gossip, you’re part of the problem.” – Bernard Kelvin Clive
“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is a poison that poisons the heart of the gossip and those who hear it.” – Unknown
“Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks.” – Shannon L. Alder
“The biggest liar in the world is the man who claims he never gossips.” – Barbara Walters
“Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles.” – Korean Proverb
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” – Liz Smith
“You are responsible for the words that come out of your mouth. And the way they affect your heart.” – Kemi Sogunle
“Gossip ruins three lives: the one who says it, the one who listens and the one who’s about whom it is said.” – Unknown
“A secret is a kind of promise. It can also be a prison.” – Jennifer Lee Carrell
“Gossip is always a personal confession either of malice or imbecility.” – Josiah Gilbert Holland
“Gossip is hardly uplifting.” – Ginger Rogers
Quotes on Gossip and Relationships
“Gossip, as usual, was the best weapon against threats to stability; it diverted attention, undermined morale, and kept busybodies occupied.” – Gregory Maguire
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” – Erica Jong
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” – Joseph Conrad
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” – Marie Curie
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” – Liz Smith
“The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” – Oscar Wilde
“People will question all the good things they hear about you but believe all the bad without a second thought.” – Anonymous
“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation.” – Anonymous
“It’s double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.” – Jean de La Fontaine
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Gossip is the devil’s radio.” – George Harrison
“Isn’t it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up?” – Sean Covey
“He who gossips with you will gossip about you.” – Turkish Proverb
“Words have no wings but they can fly a thousand miles.” – Korean Proverb
“One who gossips usually carries boredom in one hand and bitterness in the other.” – Criss Jami
“Gossip is a boomerang.” – Anonymous
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” – Frank A. Clark
“The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
“Gossip is the opiate of the masses.” – Jesse Ventura
“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.” – Nishan Panwar
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” – Joseph Conrad
“It’s not what they say about you, it’s what they whisper.” – Errol Flynn
“Gossip: an exercise in detraction.” – Elbert Hubbard
“Small streams of gossip can turn into rivers of misunderstanding.” – Anonymous
“You can’t build a reputation on what is going to be said.” – Henry Ford
“Gossip is the ultimate deceptive dance of illusion.” – Anonymous
Wisdom in Gossip Quotes
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears.” – Proverbs 26:20
“There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.” – Oscar Wilde
“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” – Socrates
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” – Erica Jong
“To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.” – Will Durant
“Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.” – Spanish Proverb
“Gossip, after all, is the essence of society.” – Janice Evelyn Atkinson
“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” – Marie Curie
“Gossip, as usual, was one-third right and two-thirds wrong.” – L.M. Montgomery
“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” – Bertrand Russell
“It is just as cowardly to judge an absent person as it is wicked to strike a defenseless one. Only the ignorant and narrow-minded gossip, for they speak of persons instead of things.” – Lawrence G. Lovasik
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” – Liz Smith
“Isn’t it kind of silly to think that tearing someone else down builds you up?” – Sean Covey
“I never gossip. I observe. And then relay my observations to practically everyone.” – Gail Carriger
“Listening to gossip is how you hold a mirror to the truth without letting it sting.” – Anonymous
“Gossip is the tool of the jealous and the bridle of the insecure.” – Emily Post
“Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco-pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker.” – George Eliot
“Gossip, like a virus, spreads its infection and leaves its scars.” – Unknown
“People who judge harshly, criticize and condemn others, are often the ones who need to take a good look at themselves.” – Unknown
“Gossip is when you hear something you like about someone you don’t.” – Earl Wilson
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” – Proverbs 11:13
“I can endure my own despair but not another’s hope.” – William Blake
“Gossip is the devil’s radio.” – George Harrison
“If you must keep talking about it, affirm its truth.” – Khalil Gibran
“Gossip is like a small fire that can spread into a wildfire with just a whisper.” – Anonymous
“The most uninteresting people in the world, are those who live in other people’s lives.” – Unknown
“You are the company you keep, so avoid the gossiper who will trade your secrets for their entertainment.” – Unknown
“Gossip is the social cancer that no echo chamber can contain.” – Original
Celebrity Gossip Quotes
“Gossip is the devil’s radio.” – George Harrison
“Whoever gossips to you, will gossip about you.” – Spanish Proverb
“Rumor travels faster, but it don’t stay put as long as truth.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.” – Joseph Conrad
“Gossip needn’t be false to be evil – there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” – Frank A. Clark
“No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues.” – Bertrand Russell
“Gossip is the art of saying nothing in a way that leaves practically nothing unsaid.” – Walter Winchell
“I think we should have a day off for the queen’s 95th birthday, don’t you?” – Social Media Post (anonymous)
“The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them.” – Will Rogers
“Gossip is the opiate of the oppressed.” – Erica Jong
“The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.” – Dave Barry
“When of a gossiping circle it was asked, ‘What are they doing?’ The answer was, ‘Swapping lies’.” – Richard Brinsley Sheridan
“Gossip is the sizzle in the steak of life.” – My own curious mind
“What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” – Jewish Proverb
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” – Proverbs 11:13
“People gossip. People are insecure, so they talk about other people.” – Blake Lively
“To gossip is to human as breath is to life.” – Unknown
“Gossip isn’t scandal and it’s not merely malicious. It’s chatter about the human race by lovers of the same.” – Phyllis McGinley
“If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.” – Alice Roosevelt Longworth
“Men have always detested women’s gossip because they suspect the truth: their measurements are being taken and compared.” – Erica Jong
“Gossip is the swiftest bird alive.” – Latin Proverb
“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.” – Robert Frost
“Gossip is the voice of jealousy and envy.” – Unknown
“Don’t waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” – Paulo Coelho
“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears.” – Anonymous
“Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” – Liz Smith
“He who hunts after gossip shall, in turn, be hunted by his own deeds.” – Original Thought
“There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe – the sun in the heavens and the Associated Press down here.” – Mark Twain
“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?” – George Eliot
“Gossip is the tool of the feeble-minded.” – Original Insight
“Gossip is the byproduct of our collective curiosity.” – Unknown
“The less people know, the more they talk.” – Original Lyric
Wrapping-up
As we’ve seen, gossip quotes touch on the humorous, the insightful, and the thought-provoking. They can offer us a new perspective on how we talk about others and reflect on our own behavior. These quotes remind us that words have power and that gossip can have a lasting impact.
Next time you hear a juicy piece of gossip, think back to these quotes. They emphasize the importance of kindness, understanding, and the value of keeping certain things private. Whether you’re sharing a quote with friends or reflecting on your own actions, these sayings offer wisdom that stands the test of time.