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Glite Dictionary
to mouth off

to mouth off

28 8.3
To speak rudely and loudly to a person in charge
  • phrasal verb
  • /maʊθ ɔf/
  • Informal
translation icon : contestar (con insolencia)
  • The Garden Rant blog, where gardeners mouth off with the zeal of sports radio barkers.
  • shoot your mouth off
  • start mouthing off
  • run your mouth off

So it's, it's, it takes a big man to walk away from someone mouthing off, but at the end of the day, they want you to attack them.

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Examples

  • I shouldn't have mouthed off to you like that.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Do not mouth off to me, sir.

    The Last Kung Fu Monk (2010)

  • You should actually read her testimony before shooting your mouth off; it makes you look less foolish.

    Blog text (22)

  • When he first moved to the area, he used to go in there every night, drank like a fish, used to shout his mouth off.

    As a Prelude to Fear (2022)

  • Sharon's on the radio to dispatch as Robby drives and the kid keeps mouthing off.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Many students get in trouble for mouthing off to their teachers during class.

  • If you keep mouthing off like that, you might find yourself in detention.

  • He tends to mouth off at his boss, which often leads to conflicts in the workplace.

Synonyms

to lash out
vsto mouth off
71 5.6

Suddenly say angry things about someone by speaking or writing

is generally rude loud speaking rather than a sudden aggressive attack
to rant
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
70 4.8

To speak loudly and angrily for a long time

is shorter rude loud remarks often directed at a person
to scoff
vsto mouth off
57 6.5

To say or do things to show you do not respect someone

is direct rude loud speech, not limited to mocking tone
to talk back
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
46 5.4

Reply rudely to someone in charge like a teacher or boss

is rude and loud generally, not only a response to authority
to sound off
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
9 7.0

To say your opinion or complain loudly and openly

is more specifically rude and disrespectful toward authority figures
to give (someone) lip
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
8 8.4

Talk back to someone in a rude way

is rude and loud more generally, beyond cheeky replies
to talk trash
vsto mouth off
  • Offensive
5 7.5

Say insulting, bragging words to make someone angry or nervous

is rude and loud but focused on disrespect rather than provocation
to shoot one's mouth off
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
5 8.0

To say things carelessly or proudly without thinking about the result

is directed at someone disrespectfully and often challenges authority
to run off at the mouth
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
3 8.4

Talk too much and say things you should not

is shorter loud disrespect often aimed at a person in authority
to cheek
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
3 8.6

To speak rudely to someone

is similar but often implies louder, more aggressive delivery
to lip off
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
1 8.9

Talk back rudely to someone in charge

is broader rude loud speech, not limited to answering someone
to shoot from the lip
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
1 8.9

To speak quickly without thinking and risk upsetting people

is more about rude loud challenge than mere impulsive speech
to shoot off at the mouth
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
1 9.4

Say things quickly without thinking that may hurt people or make you sorry later

is intentionally rude and loud, not merely careless or impulsive
piece of someone's mind
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
7.5

Tell someone angrily that you are unhappy with them

is ruder and often aimed at authority rather than only criticism
to speak with venom
vsto mouth off
7.8

Say angry, cruel things about someone

is rude and loud but less focused on bitter personal malice
to spit poison
vsto mouth off
  • Informal
7.9

Say very angry, hurtful things to someone to hurt them

is rude and loud speech that may not carry such strong malice

Antonyms

to listen
∞ 1.0

Pay attention to sounds or speech to hear and understand them

How Rude

to insult
  • Offensive
543 2.1
to mouth off
  • Informal
28 8.3
to talk back
  • Informal
46 5.4
to complain
∞ 1.0
to speak
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

mouth off infinitive
mouthed off past
mouthed off past participle
mouthing off present participle
mouths off third person singular

Morphology

mouth + off

The verb 'mouth off' contains 'mouth' which clearly relates to speaking and the particle 'off' often signals abrupt, dismissive or away-oriented action, so a learner who knows the parts could plausibly infer it involves speaking in a brusque way. However, the precise sense of being rude/disrespectful and its colloquial register are not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb mouth off paints a picture of someone using their mouth to let words fly off loudly and without care. That's why it came to mean 'to speak in a rude or disrespectful way'.