backbiter
|back-bi-ter|
🇺🇸
/ˈbækˌbaɪtər/
🇬🇧
/ˈbækˌbaɪtə/
slander someone behind their back
Etymology
'backbiter' originates from English, specifically from the compound elements 'back' + 'bite' with the agentive suffix '-er' (from Old English 'bæc' meaning 'back' and 'bītan' meaning 'to bite').
'backbiter' developed from the verb 'backbite' (Middle English forms such as 'bakbiten'/'backbiten'), with the agent noun formed as 'back-biter' in Early Modern English and later solidifying as the single word 'backbiter'.
Initially the elements referred literally to 'bite at the back' (a physical image), but early on 'backbite' acquired the figurative sense 'to slander someone behind their back,' and this figurative sense has persisted into the modern meaning of 'backbiter' as 'one who slanders others in their absence.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who speaks maliciously about someone who is not present; one who gossips or slanders another behind their back.
He was known as a backbiter who spread rumors about his coworkers.
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Noun 2
someone who undermines another's reputation by saying unkind or untrue things when the target is absent; a malicious gossip.
Don't trust him—he's a backbiter and will tell others negative stories about you when you're not there.
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Last updated: 2025/12/25 14:22