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Glite Dictionary
🗣️ Gossiping about others 🗣️ Gossiping or critical
backbiting

backbiting

7.2
Showing mean gossip or criticism about someone who is not present
  • adjective
  • /ˈbækˌbaɪtɪŋ/
translation icon : hablador
  • He avoided the office because of the backbiting gossip that surrounded his absence.

Examples

  • Her backbiting remarks during the meeting created tension among the team.

  • The group was filled with backbiting members who constantly spread rumors about each other.

  • It's, it's adversarial antagonistic, it's backbiting, it's snarky, it's sarcastic.

  • Anyway, I don't think that the inside scoop on the Romney campaign will turn out to be nearly as interesting and backbiting as, say, the McCain campaign's story was in 2008.

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Synonyms

mudslinging
vsbackbiting
6.5

Full of unfair personal attacks meant to damage someone's reputation

is private malicious gossip aimed at people not present

Antonyms

compliment
342 1.6

A polite remark that praises someone or something

praise
161 1.0

Words or actions that show admiration for someone

How Harmful

slanderous
11 7.3
backbiting
7.2
gossipy
  • Informal
9 4.8

Surface Forms

backbiting positive

Morphology

backbiting = backbite (semi-transparent) = back + bite + ing

The adjective is formed from the verb 'backbite' + -ing; the relation to the base verb is clear but the meaning is idiomatic/metaphorical.

Etymology

Backbiting comes from the parts back ('behind someone's back') and bite ('to bite' or 'hurt'). The idea of 'biting' someone who is not there makes backbiting a clear word to describe people or talk that spread harmful gossip about others who are not present.