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backbiting

/ˈbæk.baɪ.tɪŋ/

Translations

backbitingnoun

backbitings

médisancePropos malveillants tenus en l’absence de la personne visée.

The office was rife with backbiting, as employees often gossiped about each other behind their backs.

Le bureau était empli de médisance, car les employés colportaient souvent des ragots les uns sur les autres dans leur dos.

Synonyms

malicious talk

backbitinggerund / present participle

/ˈbækˌbaɪ.tɪŋ/

Used attributively to describe a person or comments that engage in malicious gossip.

médisantSe dit d’une personne ou d’un comportement qui parle mal des autres en leur absence.

She grew tired of her backbiting colleagues.

Elle se lassa de ses collègues médisants.

Synonyms

backbiteverb

backbiting

Gerund

backbit

Past Simple

backbitten

Past Participle

backbiting

Gerund

/ˈbæk.baɪt/

médireSe construit généralement avec « de » ; registre courant.

It is hurtful to backbite a coworker after the meeting.

Il est blessant de médire d’un collègue après la réunion.

Additional translations

mordreSens vieilli ou archaïque, avec l’idée de mordre ou d’attaquer par derrière.

Synonyms

defame

slander

speak behind someone's back

malign

speak ill of

Definitions

backbitingnoun

The act of speaking unfavorably or maliciously about someone who is not present.

The office was rife with backbiting, as employees often gossiped about each other behind their backs.

backbitinggerund / present participle

Inclined to speak unfavorably or maliciously about others who are not present.

She grew tired of her backbiting colleagues.

backbiteverb

To speak unfavorably or slanderously about someone who is not present.

She was upset to learn that her colleagues would often backbite her when she wasn't around.

(archaic) To bite or attack from behind.

The startled mule bucked when the dog tried to backbite it.