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being a bitch

being a bitch

56 9.9
Treating other people in an unkind, harsh way
  • idiom
  • /ˈbiːɪŋ ə bɪtʃ/
  • Offensive
translation icon : portarse como una perra
  • It's hard to work with someone who's always being a bitch over minor issues.
  • think I'm being a bitch
  • know she's being a bitch
  • she said being a bitch

Like even the idea of being assertive comes off as being a bitch.

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Examples

  • You probably won't believe this, but I have a reputation for being a bitch.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • You've been wonderful to me, and I've been a bitch.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I can be a bitch sometimes too.

  • And two years later, she still is a bitch to me for it.

    Blog text (19)
  • Five years can be a bitch, huh?

    Fiction book (1996)
  • To get this man out of the White House is going to be a bitch.

    Blog text (3)
  • Do you think I'm being a bitch?

  • So don't be a bitch, and go ask her out.

  • Don't be a bitch about it.

  • Becca, quit being a bitch.

Synonyms

to diss
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
62 8.4

To speak rudely to someone to show no respect, often in public

is broader mean behavior not limited to public verbal insults
to talking trash
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
3 8.1

Say rude or insulting things to make someone feel bad

is general mean unpleasant behavior not limited to verbal taunts
to be a dickwad
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Act in a rude, foolish way that annoys or upsets other people

is about being harsh and mean, not only to annoy
to act like a cuntrag
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

Behave in a very rude and insulting way to other people

is unpleasant and mean but less focused on extreme vulgarity
to acting like a prick
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

To behave in a rude and hurtful way to other people

is unpleasant and harsh but not always deliberately nasty
to act like a dickface
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

To behave very rudely and make other people angry or upset

is harsh and mean but may not be continuously offensive
to act like a total fucktwat
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

Behave in a very rude and thoughtless way that upsets other people

is mean and harsh rather than only foolish or incompetent
to act like an asshat
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

Behave in a rude and stupid way

is unpleasant and mean rather than chiefly foolish
to acting like an assbutt
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

To behave in a rude and annoying way

is more targeted at being mean than merely foolish or annoying
to be a shitbiscuit
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

To act in a rude and unhelpful way

is specifically mean or harsh beyond mere unhelpfulness
to act like a churl
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

To treat other people rudely and think only about yourself

is focused on being unkind rather than on selfishness
to be a churl
vsbeing a bitch
  • Offensive
9.9

Act in a rude, unkind way toward other people

is harsher and more offensive than simple rudeness

Antonyms

423 2.7

A strong feeling of care for someone who is suffering and a wish to help them

297 1.0

Friendly and generous actions that help or comfort other people

How Mean

cruelness
1 4.5
meanness
9 5.4
being a bitch
  • Offensive
56 9.9
rudeness
27 1.8

Surface Forms

being a bitch singular
being bitches plural

Morphology

being + a + bitch

The phrase is a direct composition of 'being' + 'a' + the noun 'bitch', which yields the straightforward meaning 'acting like a (vulgar) unpleasant person.' A B1 learner who knows the noun 'bitch' as an insulting term and understands the copular/continuous construction 'being a X' will readily infer the intended meaning, though they should also recognize the vulgar register.

Etymology

Being a bitch comes from calling someone a bitch, a word that long ago meant a female dog. People used the picture of an angry or nasty dog to describe someone acting 'mean', so now it means 'acting in an unkind or harsh way'.