tattler

noun

tat·​tler ˈta-tᵊl-ər How to pronounce tattler (audio)
ˈtat-lər
Synonyms of tattlernext
1
: tattletale
2
: any of various slender long-legged shorebirds (such as the willet, yellowlegs, and redshank) of the sandpiper family with a loud and frequent call

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of tattler in a Sentence

as the office's resident tattler, she can be counted on to report any unauthorized use of the photocopiers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wandering tattlers, the ruddy turnstone and a variety of other summer migrants will be found on our local beaches. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2025 Tattling to the Bachelor doesn’t always go well for the tattler. — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tattler was in 1550

Browse Nearby Words

tattle
tattler
tattletale
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tattler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tattler. Accessed 14 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

tattler

noun
tat·​tler ˈtat-lər How to pronounce tattler (audio)
-ᵊl-ər
: tattletale

More from Merriam-Webster on tattler

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tattler

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
retro style illustration of a tv with shapes and lightening bolts coming from the screen
Pop Culture Vocab Quiz “Embiggen,” “regift,” “friend zone” a...
See All