backbite(动词):在背后说坏话;诽谤;中伤(尤指当事人不在场时)。
/ˈbækˌbaɪt/
She would never backbite her coworkers.
她绝不会在背后说同事的坏话。
Although he smiled in meetings, he would often backbite his colleagues afterward, which damaged trust in the team.
尽管他在会议上满脸笑容,会后却常常在背后中伤同事,这破坏了团队的信任。
由 back(背后)+ bite(咬)构成,字面意思是“从背后咬一口”,引申为“在别人背后攻击、诋毁”。这一形象化的组合体现了背后伤人的行为特征。