bad-mouthing 1 of 2

noun

as in disparagement

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bad-mouthing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bad-mouth
as in dismissing
to express scornfully one's low opinion of she promptly bad-mouthed that awful movie to everyone she knew

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bad-mouthing
Verb
After filing the grievance, Chick accused Lieder of bad-mouthing her to other lawmakers. — Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2026 At one point, Brown stepped away from the set, and co-stars Antoni Porowski, Tan France and Jonathan van Ness began bad-mouthing him behind his back, while his mom heard the whole conversation, according to TMZ. — Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026 Most of the people who were bad-mouthing Titanic had not seen so much as a minute of film. — Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 Ranting on LinkedIn and bad-mouthing your ex-employer or naming and shaming your last negative recruitment experience won’t help you either. — Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad-mouthing
  1. disparagement
  2. dismissing
  3. criticism
  4. minimizing
  5. vilification
  6. criticizing
  7. belittlement
  8. diminishing
Noun
  • Unsurprisingly, the disparagement of Congress is unrelenting.
    — Scott Warren, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That growth has been accompanied by disparagement from some sports fans, who gripe about the company’s scale and the quality of its products.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of disparagement
Verb
  • Things get even more alarming when Eidra can’t reach Tom Libby and reports start rolling in that Vaughn is dismissing everyone in Trowbridge’s government who’d had a significant relationship with Kate and her team.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Citing 2026 laureate Navi Pillay—known for charging Israel with genocide and dismissing free speech—Schatz warns the award now rewards ideological insider posturing rather than genuine efforts to achieve international peace.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Noun
  • Trump's continuing criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and praise of Putin only give Putin further confidence the United States is not serious about imposing more severe sanctions.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • His government, the most nationalist and far-right in Israel’s history, faces domestic criticism over security failures and international criticism over the treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticism
Verb
  • According to Healthline, testosterone may help protect the brain by slowing nerve cell death, promoting regeneration after injury, minimizing nerve damage and reducing inflammation in the nervous system.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Other Preventative Aphid Control Good garden hygiene, even during the fall and winter months, is crucial for minimizing harborage areas for both overwintering aphid eggs and adults, according to Crumbley.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimizing
Noun
  • This appears in defenses of Macklemore’s conduct and the vilification of the owners.
    — Kenneth L. Marcus, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But its cultural dominance became bound up in a widespread vilification of Drake that curdled online, where the most damning interpretation of anything could quickly become the accepted one.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of vilification
Verb
  • Multiple Republicans brought up Bottoms during the debate when criticizing their GOP opponent.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Raman brought up Gates briefly while criticizing the mayor over the Los Angeles Police Department’s handling of federal immigration enforcement during Tuesday night’s debate.
    — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticizing
Noun
  • During Season 10, a newly confident Batula — who seemed to despise Cooke from the first minute of the premiere episode — appeared to be poised to launch a triumphant post-divorce arc, free at last from Cooke’s belittlement and verbal abuse.
    — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 29 June 2026
  • Apolline may embrace the social media aspects of her career but George’s belittlement rankles her.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of belittlement
Verb
  • That global warming is diminishing them might sounds counterintuitive — climate change, after all, is worsening much of the world’s extreme weather.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Winds will finally begin diminishing Friday evening and overnight.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of diminishing

Browse Nearby Words

bad-mouthed
bad-mouthing
bad-mouths
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Cite this Entry

“Bad-mouthing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad-mouthing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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