bad-mouth
or bad·mouth
Slang. to speak critically and often disloyally of; disparage: Why do you bad-mouth your family so much?
Origin of bad-mouth
1Other words from bad-mouth
- bad-mouther, noun
Words Nearby bad-mouth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bad-mouth in a sentence
One day he visited a child who was sick with a bad mouth, and touching the child's mouth he said, "It will be well soon."
The Christian | Hall CaineMany horses will not attempt to run away except for the concurrence of a bad mouth along with an avenue of escape home.
On Horsemanship | XenophonI had very pretty hair, my dear,” said Miss Matilda; “and not a bad mouth.
Cranford | Elizabeth Cleghorn GaskellIt was not a bad mouth; her eyes were large, and it was merely large to match them.
The Daughter of the Storage | William Dean HowellsThat what they call puttin' bad mouth on them and she sho' could do it.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves. | Work Projects Administration
British Dictionary definitions for bad-mouth
(tr) slang to speak unfavourably about
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with bad-mouth
Disparage or criticize unduly, malign, as in Why do you constantly bad mouth your colleagues? This term is believed to be of African origin, where the phrase bad mouth signifies a curse or evil spell. [1930s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse