Phrase guide

dish the dirt

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To tell salacious gossip.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, informal

Examples

  • The tabloid newspaper was eager to dish the dirt on celebrities.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She won't dish the dirt

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: gossip

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: talk, speak

Narrower terms: rumor, rumour, bruit

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.