bad-mouth

or bad·mouth

[ bad-mouthor, sometimes, -mouth ]

verb (used with object)

, bad-mouthed, bad-mouth·ing.

1. Slang. to speak critically and often disloyally of; disparage:

   Why do you bad-mouth your family so much?

bad-mouth

verb

1. slang.
   tr to speak unfavourably about

Other Words From

• bad-mouther noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bad-mouth¹

1935–40; originally a curse, spell (the sense recorded in Gullah); compare Vai (Mande language of Liberia and Sierra Leone) dà nyà mà curse, literally, bad mouth

Idioms and Phrases

Disparage or criticize unduly, malign, as in Why do you constantly bad mouth your colleagues? This term is believed to be of African origin, where the phrase bad mouth signifies a curse or evil spell. [1930s]

Example Sentences

But the moment other people started to bad-mouth Gritty, talking about how terrifying, creepy, and—dare I say—weird the Flyers’ orange, googly-eyed mascot was, we changed our tune and fast.

From Slate

I’m not here to bad-mouth anybody.

From Washington Post

And while you don’t want to bad-mouth your current employer in interviews, you are free to explain to your boss, and anyone else at your employer who will listen, exactly what drove you out.

From Washington Post

Trying to get Pete Carroll to bad-mouth a former player of his is like trying to get an Auburn fan to yell “Roll Tide!”

From Seattle Times

Macchio also made the decision to never bad-mouth the Karate Kid films, even if he was frustrated with the direction his career had taken.

From BBC