bad-mouth

verb

ˈbad-ˌmau̇th How to pronounce bad-mouth (audio)
-ˌmau̇t͟h
bad-mouthed; bad-mouthing; bad-mouths
Synonyms of bad-mouthnext

transitive verb

: to criticize severely

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of bad-mouth in a Sentence

she promptly bad-mouthed that awful movie to everyone she knew
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
John Legend isn't about to let anyone bad-mouth the people in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2024 He was eventually allowed in — but only after other SEALs threatened to leave and bad-mouth the bar. — Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 21 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad-mouth was in 1941

Browse Nearby Words

bad-mouth
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Cite this Entry

“Bad-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad-mouth. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

bad-mouth

verb
-ˌmau̇th,
-ˈmaut͟h
: to say bad things about
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