What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Backbiting vs Slur - What's the difference?

backbiting | slur |

As nouns the difference between backbiting and slur

is that backbiting is the action of slandering a person without that person's knowledge while slur is an insult or slight.

As verbs the difference between backbiting and slur

is that backbiting is while slur is to insult or slight.

As an adjective backbiting

is slandering or speaking badly of a person without that person's knowledge.

backbiting

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) bacbiting, bacbitung, equivalent to .

Noun

(en noun)
  • The action of slandering a person without that person's knowledge.
  • * 1303 , Robert Manning of Brune, Handlyng synne
  • No custummable bakbytyng God....
  • * 1862 , Anthony Trollope, Orley Farm
  • Not given to backbiting .

    Etymology 2

    From backbite.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Slandering or speaking badly of a person without that person's knowledge.
  • * 1580 , Thomas Tusser, A hundreth good pointes of husbandrie
  • Backbiting talk that flattering blabs know wily how to blenge.
  • * 1873 , Rhoda Broughton, Nancy
  • Am I to have a backbiting wife?

    Verb

    (head)
  • slur

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An insult or slight.
  • (music) A set of notes that are played legato, without separate articulation.
  • (music) The symbol indicating a legato passage, written as an arc over the slurred notes (not to be confused with a tie).
  • (obsolete) A trick or deception.
  • In knitting machines, a device for depressing the sinkers successively by passing over them.
  • Verb

    (slurr)
  • To insult or slight.
  • (Tennyson)
  • To run together; to articulate poorly.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2014-04-21, volume=411, issue=8884, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Subtle effects , passage=Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.}}
  • (label) To play legato or without separate articulation; to connect (notes) smoothly.
  • (Busby)
  • To soil; to sully; to contaminate; to disgrace.
  • (Cudworth)
  • To cover over; to disguise; to conceal; to pass over lightly or with little notice.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • With periods, points, and tropes, he slurs his crimes.
  • To cheat, as by sliding a die; to trick.
  • * 1662 , , (Hudibras)
  • to slur men of what they fought for
  • To blur or double, as an impression from type; to mackle.
  • Derived terms

    * slur over

    Anagrams

    *