badmouth 復習

東京都 八王子で男子高校生3人が仲間に暴行を加えたとして逮捕されました。

Police in Hachioji, Tokyo, have arrested three male high school students on suspicion of assault after they beat up a classmate in August.
(中略)

The victim has told police that before the assault, one of the boys said to him: “You threw a cigarette at my girlfriend, didn't you?” and “You’ve been badmouthing me to my girlfriend.” The boys also demanded to know why he had dyed his hair blond and said he was getting carried away with himself.

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/3-high-school-students-arrested-for-beating-up-classmate

　badmouthを取り上げます。前に裏ゼミで取り上げられた気がしますがもう一度調べたいと思います。まず『ジーニアス英和辞典』では「…の悪口を言う」と記載されています。Cambridge Dictionaryによると“to criticize someone or something in a very unpleasant manner”と定義されていました。他にもtalk behind one’s back 「〜の悪口を言う」という表現がお馴染みだと思います。(Kiwi girl)