Tea
noun /tiː/ — Gossip; the truth about a situation
Definition
The inside story; gossip; juicy information about a situation or person. 'Spill the tea' means to share everything you know. 'What's the tea?' means: tell me everything.
Beyond the definition
Tea is the civilised language of gossip — it allows information to be shared under the cover of intimacy. There's warmth in tea. You share tea with people you trust, over something warm, in private.
Origin & history
Drag culture and African American Vernacular English. Likely from 'T' meaning 'truth' in drag slang. Popularised by RuPaul's Drag Race and internet culture. Tea is the truth too hot to broadcast publicly.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Okay, spill the tea. What actually happened at the party?
The tea is that they've been quietly seeing each other for months.
She doesn't gossip — she distributes tea, which is completely different.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Tea” when the meaning fits your context: The inside story; gossip; juicy information about a situation or person. 'Spill the tea' means to share everything you know. 'What's the tea?' means: tell me everything.
Synonyms
gossip, info, news, intel, the truth
Antonyms
silence, discretion, secrecy
Related words
Tea vs gossip
Gossip is a general term for rumors. 'Tea' is a specific, actionable piece of news or drama that is ready to be shared or discussed among friends.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Chatting in Local Cafe
An adult sits at a table in a busy, local café, chatting with a friend using hands and relaxed, genuine expressions.
The friends are sharing tea. The intimate, unpretentious setting of the local café is the perfect environment to 'spill the tea'—to share the inside stories and the juicy information that defines their community, making the informal chat a valuable, private exchange of knowledge.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Tea" mean?
Tea is noun meaning: Gossip; the truth about a situation. The inside story; gossip; juicy information about a situation or person. 'Spill the tea' means to share everything you know. 'What's the tea?' means: tell me everything.
Where does the word "Tea" come from?
Drag culture and African American Vernacular English. Likely from 'T' meaning 'truth' in drag slang. Popularised by RuPaul's Drag Race and internet culture. Tea is the truth too hot to broadcast publicly.