What does backstab mean?
A backstab is an act of treachery committed against someone who trusts the perpetrator, and the verb 'to backstab' means to carry out such a betrayal. The term evokes the image of a knife driven into an unguarded back, capturing both the secrecy and the cruelty of disloyalty. It appears frequently in descriptions of office politics, competitive workplaces, friendships gone wrong, and power struggles, where allies turn on each other for personal gain. Related forms include 'backstabber', meaning a person given to such behavior, and 'backstabbing', referring either to the activity itself or, adjectivally, to environments rife with betrayal. The phrase carries a strongly negative connotation, implying cowardice as much as dishonesty, since the victim is taken unawares. Its older idiomatic ancestor, 'a stab in the back', dates to imagery of assassination from behind and remains a vivid shorthand for betrayal by a supposed friend.
To betray someone who trusts you, especially in a secret or underhanded way for personal advantage.
"He felt betrayed when he discovered that his oldest friend had been backstabbing him to their boss."
Often used in the progressive form ('backstabbing') to describe ongoing treacherous behavior.
An act of treacherous betrayal, likened to a blow delivered from behind to an unsuspecting victim.
"The memoir describes the backstabs she endured on her way up the corporate ladder."
The plural is straightforward and refers to multiple instances of betrayal; the mass-noun sense is more often expressed through 'backstabbing'.
"Over the years he suffered enough backstabs to write a book about office politics."
The image behind 'backstab' is literal: Julius Caesar's assassins struck him from behind, which is why a betrayal by a trusted friend has been called a 'stab in the back' ever since.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of backstab
'Backstab' arose as a compound of the native English elements 'back' and 'stab', with 'stab' entering English in the late Middle Ages of uncertain origin. The compound reflects the much older idiom 'a stab in the back', long used figuratively for treacherous betrayal. The verb and its derivatives such as 'backstabber' became widespread in twentieth-century usage, particularly in political and workplace contexts.
Related word forms
How backstab is actually used
Informal to neutral in register; common in everyday speech and journalism but rare in formal academic writing. Strongly negative connotation — it implies not just betrayal but cowardice, since the victim is caught off guard by someone they trusted. The derived nouns 'backstabber' and 'backstabbing' are very common in workplace and political commentary.
Easily confused with backstab
To backbite means to speak spitefully or slanderously about someone who is absent, whereas to backstab means to actively betray someone's trust, often for personal gain.