Juoruja

Juoruja is a colloquial term used in Brazilian Portuguese to describe a person who habitually spreads rumors or engages in gossip, typically a woman. The term carries a pejorative connotation and is often used to criticize someone for intrusiveness, breach of confidences, or perpetuating gossip in social settings.

Usage and context: Juoruja is primarily heard in informal speech and popular media. It can appear in discussions about friendships, workplaces, or online communities where gossip circulates. As a stigmatizing label, it is considered informal and can reinforce gender stereotypes, so it is used with caution in sensitive situations.

Etymology and variation: The word is part of a family of informal agent-noun formations in Portuguese that attach the feminine suffix -uja to describe someone associated with a particular behavior. Etymology is informal and not generally documented in formal dictionaries, and usage varies by region and speaker.

Geographic and cultural notes: The term is most common in Brazil. In Portugal and other lusophone contexts, more neutral terms such as fofoca (gossip) or fofoqueira (female gossiper) may be preferred in everyday language.

See also: fofoqueira, fofoqueiro, fofoca, gossip.