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débiner

to badmouth, run down

verb deh-bee-NEH Rare

Also means

to sneak away (archaic)

Usage Note

Débiner in modern colloquial French means to speak ill of someone behind their back, close to médire but more informal. The reflexive se débiner (to sneak away, to back out) is an older slang sense still heard. The tone is familiar; avoid in formal writing.

Examples

"Il passe son temps à débiner ses collègues."

Natural Translation

He spends his time badmouthing his colleagues.

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