as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
she promptly bad-mouthed that awful movie to everyone she knew
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Recent Examples of bad-mouth
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
This is not some glossy revisionist history of a person’s life; the man had a beautiful soul who didn’t have it in him to bad-mouth a cockroach.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 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
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
The vulnerable Mayfair he’s sent to woo is new character Moira, who’s been getting on everybody’s nerves by bad-mouthing Lasher for second-degree murdering her sister Tessa.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
Apparently, Sue has been putting all of her time not already occupied by bad-mouthing Kyle into digging under rocks and cliffs looking for idols.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
This is not some glossy revisionist history of a person’s life; the man had a beautiful soul who didn’t have it in him to bad-mouth a cockroach.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 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
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
The vulnerable Mayfair he’s sent to woo is new character Moira, who’s been getting on everybody’s nerves by bad-mouthing Lasher for second-degree murdering her sister Tessa.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
Apparently, Sue has been putting all of her time not already occupied by bad-mouthing Kyle into digging under rocks and cliffs looking for idols.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad-mouth
Verb
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Venables was dismissed early in the next campaign following three straight defeats, but Lineker went on to net another 20 times that season, helping win the Copa del Rey under Luis Aragones.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Court rules don't allow plaintiffs to submit additional evidence to counter a motion to dismiss, Alex said.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Learn how to prevent gas leaks, minimize carbon monoxide risks, and safely use your gas range by following these essential tips and safety precautions.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
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Atlanta scored first on a 38-yard field goal from Parker Romo, but that came after Huff and Sam Okuayinonu split a third-down sack to minimize a 19-play, 10 ½-minute drive.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The prince was widely criticized for failing to show empathy for Epstein's victims and for offering unbelievable explanations for his friendship with the disgraced financier.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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Andrew was widely criticized for failing to show empathy for Epstein’s victims and for offering unbelievable explanations for his friendship with the disgraced financier.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although there may be some lingering tension between Turning Point and the Wisconsin GOP, resistance to the group is diminishing, party officials said.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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Coleman also pushed back against the notion that enthusiasm for AI diminishes the value of human work.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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However, characters with mental health conditions were primarily presented in a negative context and often stigmatized or disparaged.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
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Three officers later pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial of either conspiracy or civil rights violations, while dozens of officers were placed on leave amid the discovery of years-long text exchanges that made frequent use of disparaging language in reference to Black people.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The publication is choosing to praise Trump slightly while denigrating his appearance as well.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
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That’s not to denigrate Punch, which is solidly built and well-meaning without sanctimony.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Link was captured on Ring camera footage mocking and belittling Jimenez after shooting him, Bergida said.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
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That conflict comes to a head in the middle of campus in the film’s most intense scene, as Alma verbally belittles and demeans her until Maggie snaps and suddenly smacks her mentor.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad-mouth. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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