Standard Lemma guide

badmouth

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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  • /ˈbæd.maʊθ/

1

verb

Meaning 1

To criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: censure, reprove, belittle, denigrate, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, slash, lash, blame, scorch, blast, berate, berisp, castigate, charge, chastise, chew out, chide, condemn, criticize, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, derogate, dispraise, drag, dress down, eat someone alive, excoriate, find fault, fulminate, get at, get down, get up, give somebody a piece of one's mind, give somebody what-for, inveigh, lace into, lambaste, lay into, lecture, light into, objurgate, pooh-pooh, put someone on blast, rate, read somebody the riot act, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, rip into, rubbish, savage, scold, skewer, slam, slate, tear into, tell off, threap, tick off, tosh, keelhaul, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, 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, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

speak unfavorably about

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She badmouths her husband everywhere

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: malign, traduce, drag through the mud

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch

History

Etymology

Calque of a Mande term, perhaps Vai [Term?] or Mandinka [Term?], which entered English via Gullah [Term?]. Compare Japanese 悪口(わるぐち) (waruguchi, “badmouthing”), which is a compound of 悪(わる) (waru, “bad, wicked”) and 口(くち) (kuchi, “mouth”).

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: গীবত গাওয়া (gibot gaōẇa) — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Catalan: malparlar — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Dutch: kwaadspreken — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Finnish: panetella — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Finnish: puhua pahaa — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • French: dénigrer — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • French: déprécier — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • French: débiner — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • German: schlechtreden — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • German: schlechtmachen — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Italian: sparlare — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Italian: parlare male — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Japanese: 悪口 (waruguchi) — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Portuguese: falar mal — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Romanian: ponegri — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Russian: черни́ть (černítʹ) — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Russian: поро́чить (poróčitʹ) — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Russian: матери́ть (materítʹ) — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Russian: обли́вать гря́зью (oblívatʹ grjázʹju) — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Swahili: sengenya — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully
  • Swedish: tala illa om — to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully