backbitingly
|back-bit-ing-ly|
/ˈbækˌbaɪt/
(backbite)
speaking unfavorably
Etymology
'backbite' originates from Old English/Germanic roots: the element 'back' (Old English 'bæc') meaning 'the rear or behind' combined with 'bite' (Old English 'bītan') meaning 'to bite'.
'backbite' appears in Middle English in forms such as 'bakbiten'/'bakbiten' meaning literally to 'bite at the back', and it evolved into the modern verb 'backbite' and the derived noun/adverb forms (e.g. 'backbiting', 'backbitingly').
Initially it conveyed the literal image of 'biting at the back'; over time it came to mean 'verbally attacking or criticizing someone in their absence' and now is used figuratively for slandering or speaking ill behind someone's back.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner of speaking ill of someone who is not present; maliciously and secretly criticizing or slandering someone behind their back.
She spoke backbitingly about her former manager to anyone who would listen.
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Adverb 2
in a spiteful or petty way intended to damage someone's reputation when they are absent.
He backbitingly dismissed her achievements as mere luck.
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Last updated: 2025/12/25 15:18