悪口(わるぐち)

わるぐち
noun
insult, bad-mouthing, slander
languageemotion
See also: 悪口(わるくち) (alternate reading)
1. insult, bad-mouthing, speaking ill of someone
Negative or malicious talk about a person, often behind their back. Covers everything from mild gossip to harsh verbal abuse.
悪口(わるぐち)を言(い)う。
To bad-mouth someone.
人(ひと)の悪口(わるぐち)ばかり言(い)ってはいけない。
You shouldn't always be bad-mouthing other people.
陰(かげ)で悪口(わるぐち)を言(い)われていたことを知(し)って、とてもショックだった。
I was very shocked to learn that people had been talking behind my back.

Pronunciation

The standard modern reading is わるぐち. The reading わるくち also exists but is less common in everyday speech.

Usage

The most common collocation is 悪口(わるぐち)を言(い)う (to say bad things about someone, to bad-mouth). The word often implies talking about someone negatively in their absence.

Common collocations

  • 悪口(わるぐち)を言(い)う: to bad-mouth, to speak ill of
  • 悪口(わるぐち)を叩(たた)く: to hurl insults (stronger)
  • 陰(かげ)で悪口(わるぐち): talking behind someone's back
  • 悪口(わるぐち)雑言(ぞうごん): verbal abuse, a stream of insults

Related Words

Synonym: 陰口(かげぐち) (talking behind someone's back)
Related: 減(へ)らず口(ぐち) (backtalk)
Compare: 恨(うら)み言(ごと) (words of resentment)
general
Added 2026.2.22 14:45 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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