| Main Entry: |
backbiting
|
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | hateful talk |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aspersion, backstabbing, belittlement, calumniation, calumny, cattiness, defamation, denigration, depreciation, detraction, disparagement, gossip, invective, lie, malice, obloquy, scandal, slander, spite, spitefulness, tale, traducement, vilification, vituperation |
| Antonyms: | encouragement, praise |
| Main Entry: | aspersion |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal exhibition of bad temper |
| Synonyms: | abuse, animadversion, backbiting, backhanded compliment, black eye, calumny, defamation, detraction, dirty dig, hit*, invective, knock*, libel, obloquy, put-down, rap, slam*, slander, smear, vituperation |
| Notes: | baptism by sprinkling is aspersion, by dipping is immersion, by pouring water is affusion |
| Antonyms: | calmness, happiness, kindness, mildness |
| Main Entry: | catty |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | nasty, malicious |
| Synonyms: | backbiting, evil, hateful, ill-natured, malevolent, mean, rancorous, spiteful, venomous, vicious, wicked |
| Antonyms: | kind, nice, pleasant |
| Main Entry: | defamation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | libel, slander |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, black eye, calumny, character assassination, cheap shot, denigration, depreciation, detraction, dirt, dirty laundry, disparagement, dump*, dynamite, hit, knock, lie, low-down dirty, mud, obloquy, opprobrium, scorcher, slam*, slap in face, slime, slur, smear, tale, traducement, vilification |
| Antonyms: | approval, commendation, compliment, exaltation, praise |
| Main Entry: | detraction |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | misrepresentation; slander |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, calumny, damage, defamation, denigration, deprecation, derogation, disesteem, disparagement, harm, hit, hurt, injury, injustice, innuendo, insinuation, knock*, libel, libeling, lie, maligning, minimization, muckraking, obloquy, pejorative, revilement, ridicule, running down, scandal, scandalmongering, scurrility, slam, smear campaign, tale, traducement, traducing, vilification, vituperation, wrong |
| Antonyms: | admiration, adulation, flattery, praise |
| Main Entry: | dishonest |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | lying, untruthful |
| Synonyms: | backbiting, bent, bluffing, cheating, corrupt, crafty, crooked, cunning, deceitful, deceiving, deceptive, designing, disreputable, double-crossing, double-dealing, elusive, false, fraudulent, guileful, hoodwinking, mendacious, misleading, perfidious, recreant, shady, shifty, sinister, slippery*, sneaking, sneaky, swindling, traitorous, treacherous, tricky, two-faced, two-timing, unctuous, underhanded, unfair, unprincipled, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, villainous, wily |
| Antonyms: | aboveboard, ethical, fair, frank, honest, moral, open, principled, scrupulous, trustworthy, truthful |
| Main Entry: | disparagement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | strong criticism; detraction |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, blame, calumny, censure, condemnation, contempt, contumely, debasement, degradation, denunciation, depreciation, derision, derogation, discredit, disdain, impairment, lessening, lie, prejudice, reproach, ridicule, scandal, scorn, slander, tale, underestimation |
| Antonyms: | approval, commendation, compliment, flattery, praise, sanction |
| Main Entry: | envy |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | jealousy |
| Synonyms: | backbiting, coveting, covetousness, enviousness, evil eye, green-eyed monster, grudge, grudging, grudgingness, hatred, heartburn, ill will, invidiousness, jaundiced eye, lusting, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignity, opposition, prejudice, resentfulness, resentment, rivalry, spite |
| Notes: | jealousy is reflective of a person's feelings or attitudes toward another person, whereas envy expresses a person's feelings or attitudes toward another person's advantages or accomplishments; jealousy pertains to emotional rivalry while envy is resentment of a more fortunate person |
| Antonyms: | comfort, confidence, contentedness, good will, kindness, pleasure |
| Main Entry: | ironic/ironical |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | sarcastic |
| Synonyms: | acrid, alert, arrogant, backbiting, biting, bitter, burlesque, caustic, chaffing, clever, contemptuous, contradictory, critical, cutting, cynical, defiant, derisive, disparaging, double-edged, exaggerated, implausible, incisive, incongruous, jibing, keen, mocking, mordant, paradoxical, pungent, quick-witted, ridiculous, sardonic, satiric, satirical, scathing, scoffing, sharp, sneering, spicy, trenchant, twisted, uncomplimentary, witty, wry |
| Antonyms: | considerate, deferential |