backbite
to attack the character or reputation of (a person who is not present).
to speak unfavorably or slanderously of a person who is not present.
Origin of backbite
1Other words for backbite
Other words from backbite
- backbiter, noun
Words Nearby backbite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use backbite in a sentence
We are all friends; of course we are friends, and we all backbite each other and carry scandal and intrigue.
The Lady of Lynn | Walter BesantMrs. Portal talked scandal herself and enjoyed it, but she didn't backbite, which is the difference between good and ill nature.
Poppy | Cynthia Stockleybackbite (Sir Benjamin), nephew of Crabtree, very conceited, and very censorious.
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol 1 | The Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D.Even as thou art scandalizing others, thine own nature is being abased, whilst those whom thou dost backbite remain the same.
The Silver Lining | John RousselFrom these though descended our manners are mended,Though still we can grin and backbite!
The Book of Humorous Verse | Various
British Dictionary definitions for backbite
/ (ˈbækˌbaɪt) /
to talk spitefully about (an absent person)
Derived forms of backbite
- backbiter, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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