bad mouth

Short definition: The phrase bad mouth means to speak negatively about someone or something, often unfairly or behind their back, by criticizing, insulting, or spreading harmful opinions that damage a person’s reputation or image.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the phrase bad mouth? This phrase is common in everyday English and usually appears in informal conversations. To bad mouth someone means speaking negatively about them, often in an unfair or unkind way. You will hear it when people talk about gossip, complaints, and damaged reputations. Below, each meaning is explained in a calm and natural way, with long definitions and realistic examples.

bad mouth verb phrase /ˌbæd ˈmaʊθ/

Forms: bad mouth, bad mouths, bad mouthed, bad mouthing
Related: criticize v., gossip n., insult v.
Syllable: bad mouth

(Verb Phrase) To speak negatively about someone, often behind their back and without fairness.
To bad mouth someone means talking about them in a critical, insulting, or unkind way. This often happens when the person is not present to defend themselves. The comments may exaggerate faults or focus only on negative traits. It is commonly associated with gossip and damaged trust.

He tends to bad mouth his coworkers when they are not around.

She was upset after hearing someone bad mouthed her to the manager.

It’s unfair to bad mouth someone without knowing the full story.

Synonyms: criticize harshly, speak badly about, insult, gossip about, run down, trash talk, talk negatively, slander verbally, complain about, attack verbally, belittle, disparage
Antonyms: praise, compliment, speak well of, defend, support, respect, admire, protect someone’s reputation, say good things, endorse, appreciate, stand up for
(Verb Phrase) To damage someone’s reputation by spreading negative opinions or remarks.
Bad mouth can also focus on the effect of the speech rather than the act itself. In this sense, it means harming how others see a person, company, or product. The comments may influence opinions, decisions, or relationships. This usage is common in workplace and social situations.

Competitors tried to bad mouth the brand to gain an advantage.

Constantly bad mouthing your former employer can hurt future job opportunities.

He worried that one angry customer might bad mouth the business online.

Synonyms: damage reputation, undermine credibility, discredit, speak ill of, tarnish image, spread negativity, harm public image, smear verbally, attack reputation, cast in a bad light, criticize publicly, trash someone’s name
Antonyms: build reputation, promote positively, protect image, recommend, endorse publicly, enhance credibility, improve perception, support reputation, speak positively, boost image, advocate for, strengthen trust

An Explanation of the Word "bad mouth" in an Image

Colorful landscape illustration of the slang Bad Mouth, depicting gossip and negative talk about someone to show criticizing or speaking badly behind their back. — A vivid educational illustration representing the slang term Bad Mouth, showing people gossiping and speaking negatively about someone, highlighting how harmful words can damage a person’s reputation.

Conversation Using the Idiom Bad mouth

In a professional workplace setting, managers Arthur and Beatrice discuss the importance of office culture and reputation. The dialogue focuses on the idiom bad mouth, which means to say negative, critical, or unkind things about someone behind their back, especially to damage their reputation.

Arthur: I’ve heard that some of the junior staff have started to bad mouth the new project lead after the meeting.

Beatrice: That’s disappointing; it’s never productive to bad mouth a colleague instead of addressing concerns directly.

Arthur: I read that employees who consistently bad mouth their previous employers often struggle to find new jobs.

Beatrice: I noticed that he chose to bad mouth the competition during the pitch, which actually made us look quite unprofessional.

Arthur: If you bad mouth your teammates, it eventually destroys the trust that is necessary for a successful project.

Beatrice: It’s important to stay positive; if you have a problem, you shouldn't bad mouth them to everyone else in the breakroom.

Arthur: I saw a review online where a former client decided to bad mouth our customer service department quite unfairly.

Beatrice: We should respond professionally rather than trying to bad mouth them in return on public forums.

Arthur: I’m glad we have a policy against this; nobody should bad mouth another person in a healthy work environment.

Beatrice: I agree; it’s much better to be supportive than to bad mouth people when they aren't around to defend themselves.

Phrases Containing the Expression Bad Mouth

The phrases below show how the expression bad mouth is used to talk about speaking negatively, criticizing unfairly, or damaging someone’s reputation through words.

Bad mouth someone

To speak negatively about a person.

He tends to bad mouth someone whenever he feels insecure, even if that person has done nothing wrong.

Bad mouth a coworker

To criticize a colleague unfairly.

Bad mouthing a coworker behind their back only creates tension and destroys trust in the workplace.

Bad mouth a company

To speak negatively about a business.

She began to bad mouth the company online after a single bad experience without seeking a solution first.

Bad mouth others publicly

To criticize in front of people.

Bad mouthing others publicly often reflects more on the speaker than on the person being criticized.

Bad mouth behind someone’s back

To criticize secretly.

It hurts more to discover that friends bad mouth you behind your back than to hear criticism directly.

Bad mouth a former employer

To criticize a past workplace.

Bad mouthing a former employer during an interview can make a very poor impression.

Bad mouth competitors

To criticize rivals.

Professional companies avoid bad mouthing competitors and focus on improving their own products.

Bad mouth people unfairly

To criticize without facts.

He had a habit of bad mouthing people unfairly based only on rumors he heard.

Bad mouth someone online

To criticize on social media.

Bad mouthing someone online can spread quickly and cause long-term damage.

Bad mouth a decision

To criticize an outcome.

Instead of helping, he chose to bad mouth the decision and complain endlessly.

Bad mouth a leader

To criticize authority.

Bad mouthing a leader without offering solutions rarely leads to positive change.

Bad mouth someone repeatedly

To criticize again and again.

Constantly bad mouthing someone repeatedly can damage your own reputation over time.

Bad mouth a friend

To speak badly about a friend.

True friends don’t bad mouth a friend when conflicts arise; they talk things out instead.

Bad mouth without evidence

To criticize without proof.

Bad mouthing without evidence can quickly turn into harmful gossip.

Bad mouth people constantly

To criticize as a habit.

People who bad mouth others constantly often struggle to maintain healthy relationships.

Bad mouth in public forums

To criticize openly online.

Bad mouthing in public forums can escalate conflicts instead of resolving them.

Bad mouth a situation

To complain excessively.

He chose to bad mouth the situation rather than adapt and find a solution.

Bad mouth someone unfairly

To criticize without justification.

Bad mouthing someone unfairly can permanently harm trust.

Bad mouth as revenge

To criticize out of spite.

Using bad mouthing as revenge usually creates more problems than it solves.

Bad mouth instead of communicating

To criticize rather than discuss.

Bad mouthing instead of communicating directly only deepens misunderstandings.

Words Rhyme with bad mouth

sad south

mad south

glad south

had mouth

clad mouth

lad south

ad south

dad south

pad mouth

rad south

mouth

south

drouth

couth

youth

truth

booth

smooth

soothe

tooth

uncouth

sleuth

ruth

vermouth

forsooth

eye-tooth

house

mouse

grouse

douse

POS: Verb Phrase Category: Body Parts