Spanish word

cotilleo

Pronunciation

IPA/kotiˈʝeo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounrumor

Example

No me gusta el cotilleo.

I don't like rumors.

Illustration for cotilleo (rumor)

More examples

En la empresa circula cotilleo de pasillo sobre la fusión.

Hallway gossip about the merger is circulating in the company.

Core concept

Informal unverified information about someone's private life shared for entertainment or criticism.

Common phrases

  • cotilleo de pasillo

    hallway gossip

  • cotilleo entre amigos

    gossip among friends

Similar words

chisme: Informal conversational talk about others' private matters as casual gossip.
rumor: Unverified information that spreads among people without confirmation.

Definition in Spanish

Información o comentario, a menudo no confirmado, sobre la vida privada de otras personas que se comparte para entretener o criticar.

Word origin

The Spanish noun cotilleo comes from the verb cotillear 'to gossip', which derives from cotilla 'busybody' and is formed with the verbal suffix -ear and the noun-forming suffix -eo.

Usage tips

  • When speakers repeat cotilleos they often add hedging phrases such as 'según dicen' or 'parece' to signal uncertainty and avoid sounding accusatory.

Other meanings

  • gossipnoun
  • chatternoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word