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Meaning of "backbiting" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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PRONUNCIATION OF BACKBITING

backbiting  [ˈbækbaɪtɪŋ] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF BACKBITING

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Backbiting is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES BACKBITING MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Backbiting

Backbiting or tale-bearing is to slander someone in their absence — to bite them behind their back. Originally, backbiting referred to an unsporting attack from the rear in the blood sport of bearbaiting. In the Baha'i Faith, Christian and Islamic doctrine, backbiting is considered a sin. The Baha'i leaders condemned it as the worst of sins as it destroyed the 'life of the soul' and provoked divine wrath. Thomas Aquinas classified it as a mortal sin, but considered it to be the gravest sin that one could commit against one's neighbour. Islam considers it to be a major sin and the Qur'an compares it to the abhorrent act of eating the flesh of one's dead brother. In Buddhism, backbiting goes against the ideal of right speech.

Definition of backbiting in the English dictionary

The definition of backbiting in the dictionary is spiteful talk about an absent person.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH BACKBITING


biting
ˈbaɪtɪŋ
copywriting
ˈkɒpɪˌraɪtɪŋ
exciting
ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ
fighting
ˈfaɪtɪŋ
firefighting
ˈfaɪəˌfaɪtɪŋ
handwriting
ˈhændˌraɪtɪŋ
infighting
ˈɪnˌfaɪtɪŋ
inviting
ɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ
kiting
ˈkaɪtɪŋ
lighting
ˈlaɪtɪŋ
moonlighting
ˈmuːnˌlaɪtɪŋ
nonbiting
ˌnɒnˈbaɪtɪŋ
screenwriting
ˈskriːnraɪtɪŋ
sighting
ˈsaɪtɪŋ
siting
ˈsaɪtɪŋ
songwriting
ˈsɒŋˌraɪtɪŋ
underwriting
ˈʌndəˌraɪtɪŋ
uninviting
ˌʌnɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ
whiting
ˈwaɪtɪŋ
writing
ˈraɪtɪŋ

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE BACKBITING

backband
backbeat
backbench
backbencher
backbenches
backbend
backbit
backbite
backbiter
backbitten
backblock
backblocker
backblocks
backboard
backbond
backbone
backboneless
backbreaker
backbreaking
backburn

WORDS THAT END LIKE BACKBITING

accounting
auditing
awaiting
counterfeiting
creative writing
dispiriting
editing
forfaiting
ghostwriting
government in waiting
inhibiting
lady-in-waiting
limiting
nail-biting
no waiting
recruiting
soliciting
suiting
visiting
vomiting
waiting

Synonyms and antonyms of backbiting in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «BACKBITING»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «backbiting» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of backbiting

Translation of «backbiting» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF BACKBITING

Find out the translation of backbiting to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of backbiting from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «backbiting» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

诽谤
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

murmuraciones
570 millions of speakers

English

backbiting
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

चुगली
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

الغيبة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

злословие
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

maledicência
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

চুকলি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

médisance
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Backbiting
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Lästern
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

陰口を言うこと
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

험담
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Backbiting
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

đũa
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

வம்பு பேசும்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

चिडखोर
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

backbiting
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

maldicenza
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

backbiting
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

лихослів´я
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

vorbirea de rău
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

κακολόγησα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

laster
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

förtal
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

baksnakking
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of backbiting

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «BACKBITING»

The term «backbiting» is regularly used and occupies the 68.230 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
68
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «backbiting» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of backbiting
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «backbiting».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «BACKBITING» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «backbiting» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «backbiting» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about backbiting

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «BACKBITING»

Discover the use of backbiting in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to backbiting and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Summa Theologica, Volume 3 (Part II, Second Section)
From this it seems to follow that backbiting is by so much a graver sin than murder, as it is a graver matter to kill the soul than to kill the body. Now murder is the gravest of the other sins that are committed against one's neighbor. Therefore  ...
St Thomas Aquinas, 2013
2
The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia
BACKBITING Backbiting, slander or calumny is criticizing or mocking others in their absence. Normally the intention of backbiting is to put someone down by commenting on a negative characteristic of that person. Backbiting is one of the ...
Oliver Leaman, 2006
3
Sermons from Imam Ali, Nahj ul Balagha
"Do you know what backbiting is?" People said, "Allah and His Prophet know better." Then he said, "Backbiting means that you say about your brother a thing which pains him." Someone said, "But what if I say what is actually true about him ?
Imam Ali
4
How to Stay in Hell: Inspiring Instructions for Daily Living
Backbiting is not a form of blabbermouthery. Backbiting does not invalidate philosophical disposition or ideological commitment of any kind. Backbiting is not irrational. Backbiting is not a pastime of lost human beings. Backbiting is not an ...
Y. O. U., 2014
5
The Chemistry of Radical Polymerization
The backbiting reaction first proposed by Roedel291 (Scheme 4.40) is generally accepted as the mechanism for short chain branch formation during polymerization of E (for discussion on alternative mechanisms see292'293). The preferential ...
Graeme Moad, D.H. Solomon, 2005
6
A Gift for Muslim Women
Some scholars observe that if you have backbited someone or heard anyone backbiting him and the wronged person knows it, you should beg his forgiveness, but if he does not know you should, without telling him, pray for his salvation so ...
Muḥammad ʻĀshiq Ilāhī, 2006
7
Scale of Wisdom: A Compendium of Shi'a Hadith: Bilingual Edition
Imam 'AH (AS) said, 'Backbiting is the ««.^un V^^fUjn.iAM attempt of one who is incapable [of doing better hin >5541 lmselrj. 4900. Imam al-Husayn (AS) said to a man who J% ^>\si\ J£.J_ $ J„-»Jl 'tuyi . • • was backbiting about a man in his ...
M. Muhammadi Rayshahri, 2009
8
Guarding the Tongue
All of this is from the forbidden types of backbiting. Likewise, it is the same if one says: "Such and such person is being tested with that which all of us were tested with" or "his wealth is a means for that (test)" or "we all have done such an act.
IslamKotob
9
Nahjul-Balagha: Path of Eloquence
Backbiting is defined as the exposure of the fault of a brother-infaith with the intention to vilify him in such a way that irritates him, whether it is by speaking, behaving, implying or suggesting. Some people take backbiting to cover only that which ...
Yasin T. Al-Jibouri, 2013
10
Aphorisms in Poetry
Little backbiting human beings aren't nothing other than the worst little human beings that even be existing, for the little reason of hating other human beings so very very much that they'll even tell little truths or even little lies about little other ...
Althemus Joseph Delahoussaye, III, 2009

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «BACKBITING»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term backbiting is used in the context of the following news items.
1
'Sin free Facebook' attracts thousands
"We are creating Ummaland on Islamic values, no small talk, no boasting, no gossiping and backbiting but focusing on the message that really ... «BBC News, Jul 15»
2
Sincere Advice: 5 Tips on how to keep your mouth shut during …
Most people who engage in backbiting and slandering will not do it all the time and with all people, in fact they may have a select group of ... «Pulse Nigeria, Jul 15»
3
As Republican infighting grows, donors call for calm
Even as the other candidates say they're trying to avoid intraparty backbiting, however, they can't seem to avoid it. In an interview Sunday on ... «SFGate, Jul 15»
4
Why Has Ramadan Been So Deadly?
... from things seen as harmful (including gossip, backbiting and habits such as smoking). Yet this year's Ramadan has been incredibly deadly. «Care2.com, Jul 15»
5
Something We All Need for Ramadan "Spirtual Declutter"
... she sends me a further message to say "If a person talks to herself about someone else who mistreated her, is that regarded as backbiting? «Huffington Post UK, Jul 15»
6
So far, so good: Critics are carping, but Bill de Blasio deserves high …
... back hard at the governor for his not-so-anonymous sniping, backbiting and his now well-known habit of cynically undermining the mayor just ... «New York Daily News, Jul 15»
7
Review: Fina Ludlow returns in Ingrid Thoft's 'Brutality'
... who seems uninterested in finding out who attacked his wife who is near death, the backbiting employees and supervisor of the research lab ... «The Missoulian, Jul 15»
8
Aesop & the Big Boss Keshi
I am tired of all the intrigues and backbiting and insinuations I get. My job with Nigeria is done. When I took over, there was no standing team ... «TheCable, Jul 15»
9
TEACHINGS OF SATHYA SAI BABA
Be always watchful against the following sins: 1) speaking falsehood, 2) speaking ill of others, 3) backbiting, 4) talking too much, 5) killing, ... «The Indian Panorama, Jul 15»
10
Review: 'The Vienna Melody,' by Ernst Lothar; family dissolves with …
There is backbiting, adultery, a duel, even murder — connected, we discover, to the political ideas poisoning the air. Although Lothar develops ... «Minneapolis Star Tribune, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Backbiting [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/backbiting>. Apr 2024 ».
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