Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

badmouth

/ˈbæd.maʊθ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.06 in modern English

Syllables
bad-mouth
IPA
/ˈbæd.maʊθ/
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.

Informal; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Calque of a Mande term, perhaps Vai [Term?] or Mandinka [Term?], which entered English via Gullah [Term?]. Compare Japanese 悪口(わるぐち) (waruguchi, “badmouthing”), which is a compound of 悪(わる) (waru, “bad, wicked”) and 口(くち) (kuchi, “mouth”).

Usage

Inflected Forms

badmouths (present, singular) badmouthing (participle, present) badmouthed (participle, past) badmouthed (past) bad-mouth (alternative)

Derived Forms

badmouther

Synonyms

censure reprove belittle denigrate admonish animadvert bash bawl out tilt cannonade slash lash

Questions

How do you pronounce badmouth?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbæd.maʊθ/.
What does badmouth mean?
To criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.
Where does badmouth come from?
Calque of a Mande term, perhaps Vai [Term?] or Mandinka [Term?], which entered English via Gullah [Term?]. Compare Japanese 悪口(わるぐち) (waruguchi, “badmouthing”), which is a compound of 悪(わる) (waru, “bad, wicked”) and 口(くち) (kuchi, “mouth”).

How to pronounce badmouth

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “badmouth”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbæd.maʊθ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “badmouth”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “badmouth” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.