slander
UK /ˈslɑːndə/ · US /ˈslændɚ/ noun, verb
Forms slanders slandering slandered slandre
- noun A false or unsupported, malicious statement (spoken, not written), especially one which is injurious to a person's reputation; the making of such a statement.
- noun (Internet) Vehement (and often exaggerated) criticism of a character, franchise, etc.
- verb (transitive) To utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.
Synonyms
aspersion calumniousness calumny character assassination defamation detraction disparagement libel obloquy traducement vilification defame denigration smirch asperse denigrate calumniate smear sully besmirch
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English slaundre, sclaundre, from Old French esclandre, from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“stumbling block, temptation”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “scandal”). Doublet of scandal.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A false tale or report maliciously uttered, tending to injure the reputation of another; the malicious utterance of defamatory reports; the dissemination of malicious tales or suggestions to the injury of another.
- noun Disgrace; reproach; dishonor; opprobrium.
- verb To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.
- verb To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.
Etymology [OE. sclandere, OF. esclandre, esclandle, escandre, F. esclandre, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. skand to spring, leap. See Scan, and cf. Scandal.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “slander”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details