badmouths
|bad-mouths|
/ˈbædˌmaʊθ/
(badmouth)
speak negatively
Etymology
'badmouth' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'bad' + 'mouth', where 'bad' meant 'bad' and 'mouth' referred to 'speech' or 'the mouth (speaking)'.
'badmouth' developed as the hyphenated or open compound 'bad-mouth' (attested in informal use) and by the 19th–20th century appeared as the verb 'badmouth' in modern English.
Initially formed to mean 'to speak badly about (someone)', its core sense of 'to disparage or speak ill of' has remained stable, though usages and targets have broadened (informal contexts, media, etc.).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural noun use (informal): people who badmouth others — those who habitually speak ill of other people.
There are always a few badmouths in every office who spread gossip.
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Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'badmouth': speaks ill of someone; disparages or slanders someone by saying unkind or untrue things about them.
She badmouths her coworkers behind their backs.
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Last updated: 2025/12/30 10:06