English Meaning & Definitions
To harm an unsuspecting person by betrayal, especially a friend, ally, or colleague, while maintaining a facade of loyalty.
- โShe was shocked to discover that her close colleague had backstabbed her to get the promotion.โ
- โYou can never trust him; he is always willing to backstab anyone to advance his career.โ
An act of treacherous betrayal.
- โThat unexpected decision by the board felt like a complete backstab.โ
- โHe suffered many professional backstabs on his way to the top.โ
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for โbackstabโ.
Derived as a back-formation from 'backstabber', which emerged in the mid-20th century (circa the 1940s). It combines the literal vulnerability of one's back with the violent act of stabbing, metaphorically representing a cowardly betrayal by someone pretending to be a friend or ally.
Picture someone literally stabbing you in the back while smiling in your face.
Frequently Asked Questions About โbackstabโ
1. What is the meaning of โbackstabโ in English?
In English, backstab (verb) is defined as: โTo harm an unsuspecting person by betrayal, especially a friend, ally, or colleague, while maintaining a facade of loyalty.โ.
2. How do you use โbackstabโ in a sentence?
โShe was shocked to discover that her close colleague had backstabbed her to get the promotion.โ
3. What are English synonyms of โbackstabโ?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of โbackstabโ?
Derived as a back-formation from 'backstabber', which emerged in the mid-20th century (circa the 1940s). It combines the literal vulnerability of one's back with the violent act of stabbing, metaphorically representing a cowardly betrayal by someone pretending to be a friend or ally.
๐ฌ๐งMore English Words to English
View all English words โThe base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.