Dictionary

badmouth en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈbæd.maʊθ/

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”).

Meanings

1. (informal, transitive) To criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.
   • He also believed that Mr. Altman was bad-mouthing the board to OpenAI executives, two people with knowledge of the situation said. 2023 December 9, Tripp Mickle, Cade Metz, Mike Isaac, Karen Weise, “Inside OpenAI’s Crisis Over the Future of Artificial Intelligence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
   • […] those cross-Atlantic aficionados who persistently idolize the British theater and bad-mouth Broadway. 1987 August 30, Benedict Nightingale, “Theater: England's Endless Love Affair with Farce”, in The New York Times, retrieved 22 Jul 2013:

Forms

Deriveds

badmouther

Synonyms

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

Translations (30)

nl kwaadspreken (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ru матери́ть (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · de schlechtreden (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl obgadać (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · it parlare male (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · bn গীবত গাওয়া (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · fi panetella (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · fr débiner (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl obrzucić błotem (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl obmawiać (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ru обли́вать гря́зью (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ro ponegri (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · it sparlare (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ja 悪口 (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl obrzucać błotem (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · sv tala illa om (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl oszkalować (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ru черни́ть (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl wieszać psy (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ca malparlar (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · de schlechtmachen (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl obgadywać (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · fi puhua pahaa (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl obmówić (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pl szkalować (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · fr dénigrer (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · ru поро́чить (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · sw sengenya (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · fr déprécier (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully) · pt falar mal (to criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully)