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backbiter

backbiter

1 8.4
A person who says bad things about others behind their back to hurt their reputation
  • noun
  • /ˈbækˌbaɪtər/
translation icon : hablador
  • During the meeting, she was careful not to appear as a backbiter, choosing her words thoughtfully when discussing her colleagues.

Examples

  • Their son, the big goddamn doctor they could brag about to all those J-town backbiters.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • These were my Red Sox—overpaid and underachieving backbiters who ended up as comic relief.

    Blog text (14)
  • ## Go tell that midnight rider ## ## Tell the gambler, the rambler, the backbiter ## ## Tell them God Almighty's gonna cut them down ## ## You may throw your rock and hide your hand ## ## Working in the dark against your fellow man ## ## As sure as God made the day and the night ## ## What you do in the dark will be brought to the light ## ## You may run and hide, slip and slide ## ## Trying to take the mote f rom your neighbor's eye ## ## As sure as God made the rich and poor ## --

  • He was known as a backbiter in the office, always speaking negatively about his coworkers when they weren't around.

  • Gossip spread quickly, revealing the backbiter among friends who spoke behind each other's backs.

Synonyms

gossiper
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 2.8

A person who often talks about other people's private lives and spreads rumors

is more intentionally harmful talk designed to damage someone's reputation
slanderer
vsbackbiter
1 7.3

A person who says false things about someone to harm them

focuses on private malicious speech meant to damage reputation rather than legal label
mudslinger
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 8.5

A person who spreads nasty stories about others to harm them, often in politics

is more general malicious speech aimed at harming reputation without political aim
tattler
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 8.1

A person who tells secrets about other people

is more intentionally malicious and aims to damage reputation rather than only reveal
gossipmonger
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 8.4

A person who often tells private stories about other people

is more focused on harming reputation maliciously rather than casual sharing
stirrer
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 7.3

A person who spreads gossip to start arguments

more often aims at harming someone's reputation quietly rather than provoking others
defamer
vsbackbiter
  • Formal
1 8.8

A person who says false things to harm someone's reputation

works more through talking behind someone to harm reputation quietly
flayer
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A person who attacks someone strongly in speech or writing

tends to be more about covert talking behind someone to damage them
talebearer
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who spreads gossip or secrets to hurt others

tends to be more deliberately harmful speech meant to ruin reputation
rumormonger
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
1 8.3

A person who spreads private or untrue stories about others

leans more toward deliberate reputation harm in a person's absence
traducer
vsbackbiter
  • Formal
9.9

A person who tells lies about someone to harm their good name

speaks maliciously about someone in their absence rather than only lying
calumniator
vsbackbiter
  • Formal
9.9

A person who lies about someone to harm their reputation

uses secretive malicious talk behind someone to harm reputation instead
maligner
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who says false things to damage someone's reputation

leans toward hurtful private talk rather than formal public campaigns
vilifier
vsbackbiter
9.3

A person who says or writes false, hurtful things about someone

typically acts by saying harmful things about someone when absent
denigrator
vsbackbiter
8.6

A person who unfairly says bad things about someone to make them seem unimportant

is specifically malicious talk behind someone's back aiming to harm reputation
newsmonger
vsbackbiter
9.6

A person who often spreads gossip or private news about others

is more malicious and aims to harm someone's reputation rather than just share news
scandalmonger
vsbackbiter
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who spreads harmful gossip about others to attract attention

is similar but emphasizes speaking behind someone to harm reputation

Antonyms

252 2.8

A person who protects someone or something from harm

How Harmful

slanderer
1 7.3
backbiter
1 8.4
gossip
  • Offensive
41 2.2

Surface Forms

backbiter singular
backbiters plural

Morphology

backbiter = backbite (transparent) = back + bite + er

Clear agentive formation: 'backbite' (to speak ill of someone behind their back) + '-er' = 'a person who does that'.

Etymology

Backbiter comes from the simple parts back and bite, so imagine someone who 'bites' you 'behind your back' when you are not there. So a backbiter is a person who says bad things about someone when they are absent, trying to hurt their reputation.