backbite

[ bak-bahyt ]

verb (used with object)

, back·bit, back·bit·ten or (Informal) back·bit; back·bit·ing.

1. to attack the character or reputation of (a person who is not present).

   Synonyms: defame, libel, slander, deprecate, disparage, belittle

verb (used without object)

, back·bit, back·bit·ten or (Informal) back·bit; back·bit·ing.

1. to speak unfavorably or slanderously of a person who is not present.

backbite

/ ˈbækˌbaɪt /

verb

1. to talk spitefully about (an absent person)

Derived Forms

• ˈbackˌbiter, noun

Other Words From

• backbiter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of backbite¹

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; back ¹, bite

Example Sentences

He said "constant backbiting and attacking colleagues" by Tory MPs during the last parliament was a key reason "why the party did so badly in the general election".

From BBC

Her phone often glows with backbiting messages from Republican factions going after one another, notably in a recent intraparty skirmish over the appointment of a district clerk, which led to name-calling and a lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times

“One: Flowers and France,” the first of the two parts, has all the political backbiting and scheming of a closed-door Republican caucus to decide the next Speaker of the House.

From Los Angeles Times

"Constant backbiting and attacking colleagues" by Tory MPs during the last parliament was a key reason "why the party did so badly in the general election", Mr Blackman said.

From BBC

You don't see the kind of backbiting and rivalries that I think you see elsewhere.

From Salon