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lästern

to badmouth

verb LES-tern Less Common
Communication Speech

Also means

to gossip maliciously

Usage Note

lästern means to speak ill of someone behind their back: über jemanden lästern (with über + accusative). It is informal and implies catty, mocking gossip. The noun Lästerei names such bitching. Distinct from neutral klatschen by its sharper malice.

Examples

"Sie lästern gern über ihre Kollegen."

Natural Translation

They love to badmouth their colleagues.

Literal Translation

They badmouth gladly about their colleagues.

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