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.

Telltale vs Backbiting - What's the difference?

telltale | backbiting |

As nouns the difference between telltale and backbiting

is that telltale is one who divulges private information with intent to hurt others while backbiting is the action of slandering a person without that person's knowledge.

As adjectives the difference between telltale and backbiting

is that telltale is revealing something not intended to be known while backbiting is slandering or speaking badly of a person without that person's knowledge.

As a verb backbiting is

.

telltale

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.
  • (chiefly, US, slang) Tattletale; squealer.
  • Something that serves to reveal something else.
    • The telltale was the lipstick on his shirt collar.
  • (music) A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted.
  • (nautical) A length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat.
  • (nautical) A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm.
  • (nautical) A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus inform himself of the vessel's course.
  • (engineering) A machine or contrivance for indicating or recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon employees (factory hands, watchmen, drivers, etc.) by revealing to their employers what they have done or omitted.
  • A bird, the tattler.
    • (Webster 1913)

    Synonyms

    * (one who divulges private information) blabbermouth, gossip, rumormonger, talebearer

    Related terms

    * tell tales

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • revealing something not intended to be known
    • His eye was blinking, a telltale signal that he was lying.
    He blushed when he approached, a telltale sign that he was happy to see him.

    Derived terms

    * telltale compass

    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)