bad-mouth

verb

ˈbad-ˌmau̇th How to pronounce bad-mouth (audio)
Definition of bad-mouthnext
as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of she promptly bad-mouthed that awful movie to everyone she knew

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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-mouth 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 This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward. — Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025 Leading up to the premiere of It Ends With Us last year, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached an uneasy truce in which it was agreed that neither side would bad-mouth the other to the press. — Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025 The neighbor's negative response—bad-mouthing OP to others—reflects an entitlement mindset, Sprowl noted. — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bad-mouth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad-mouth
  1. dismiss
  2. minimize
  3. criticize
  4. diminish
  5. disparage
  6. denigrate
  7. belittle
Verb
  • That suit was dismissed after a judge ruled that Lively’s accusations were protected by litigation privilege.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 July 2026
  • News outlets uncovered years-old comments on Reddit that appeared to endorse political violence, dismiss rape in the military, criticize rural Americans and use anti-gay slurs.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of dismiss
Verb
  • To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2026
  • Using that information, the system can infer how adjusting these parameters can minimize certain errors.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of minimize
Verb
  • His past medical reports have been criticized for offering limited detail and including statistics that some health professionals have viewed with skepticism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • During the Democratic state convention in Corpus Christi last month, the Democratic candidate for governor, Gina Hinojosa, criticized Abbott.
    — Jack Fink, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of criticize
Verb
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Kylian Mbappé’s powers were diminished in that tournament after sustaining a broken nose, while emerging stars like Michael Olise and Désiré Doué were yet to break through.
    — James Robson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • With that, the government cannot make disparaging comments about him, either.
    — Sofi Zeman July 2, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • After two South Korean journalists were recorded making disparaging comments about Son’s military service, the squad briefly refused to speak to their local media.
    — Tomás Hill López-Menchero, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of disparage
Verb
  • In 2018, the court unequivocally repudiated its wartime decision that denigrated Japanese Americans.
    — Tom Campbell, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
  • Butler was one of several key women in the history of environmental restoration who took advantage of the fact that botany was not entirely restricted to men—though this also meant that it was denigrated as a feminine pastime.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Definition of denigrate
Verb
  • Will’s obsessive, put-upon mother, Susan (Tandi Wright), belittles Alice, dresses her down for her attire at the funeral, and forces her to wear heels that don’t fit, leaving her feet bloody.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • Platner insulted members of the military and belittled Bronze Star winners.
    — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 9 July 2026
Definition of belittle

Browse Nearby Words

badly
bad-mouth
bad-mouthed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bad-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad-mouth. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All