noun
Meaning 1
One who engages in backbiting; a backbiter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
backbite
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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CMU ARPABET: B AE1 K B AY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To make spiteful slanderous or defamatory statements about someone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: denigrate, libel, slander, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To attack from behind or when out of earshot with spiteful or defamatory remarks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To speak badly of an absent individual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
say mean things
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bitch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: complain, kick, plain, sound off, quetch, kvetch
History
Etymology
From Middle English bakbiten, bacbiten, equivalent to back- + bite. Cognate with Icelandic bakbíta (“to backbite, vilify”).
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: اِغْتَابَ (iḡtāba) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Arabic: أَبَرَ (ʔabara) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Azerbaijani: pisləmək — to make defamatory statements about another
- Azerbaijani: yamanlamaq — to make defamatory statements about another
- Bulgarian: злосло́вя (zloslóvja) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Chinese Mandarin: 戳脊梁骨 (chuō jǐlianggǔ) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Chinese Mandarin: 戳脊梁 (chuō jǐliang) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Chinese Mandarin: 誹謗 /诽谤 (fěibàng) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Cornish: bacbîtya — to make defamatory statements about another
- Czech: pomlouvat — to make defamatory statements about another
- Czech: pomluvit — to make defamatory statements about another
- French: calomnier — to make defamatory statements about another
- French: salir — to make defamatory statements about another
- French: diffamer — to make defamatory statements about another
- German: verleumden — to make defamatory statements about another
- German: afterreden — to make defamatory statements about another
- German: anschwärzen — to make defamatory statements about another
- Icelandic: baknaga — to make defamatory statements about another
- Icelandic: rægja — to make defamatory statements about another
- Icelandic: rógbera — to make defamatory statements about another
- Italian: dire peste e corna — to make defamatory statements about another
- Italian: parlare male — to make defamatory statements about another
- Italian: denigrare — to make defamatory statements about another
- Italian: sparlare — to make defamatory statements about another
- Italian: calunniare — to make defamatory statements about another
- Italian: parlare alle spalle — to make defamatory statements about another
- Japanese: 後指を指す (ushiroyubi wo sasu) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Māori: muhari — to make defamatory statements about another
- Māori: kohimu — to make defamatory statements about another
- Māori: kōhimuhimu — to make defamatory statements about another
- Māori: ngautuarā — to make defamatory statements about another
- Māori: kōhumuhumu — to make defamatory statements about another
- Polish: obmawiać — to make defamatory statements about another
- Polish: obgadywać — to make defamatory statements about another
- Portuguese: fazer a caveira — to make defamatory statements about another
- Russian: злосло́вить (zloslóvitʹ) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Russian: ха́ять (xájatʹ) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Russian: хули́ть (xulítʹ) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Russian: поро́чить (poróčitʹ) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Spanish: calumniar — to make defamatory statements about another
- Turkish: iftira etmek — to make defamatory statements about another
- Urdu: غِیبَت کَرْنا (ġībat karnā) — to make defamatory statements about another
- Woiwurrung: perangoolin — to make defamatory statements about another