Library / English Dictionary

DEFAME

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

Example:

The article in the paper sullied my reputation

Synonyms:

asperse; besmirch; calumniate; defame; denigrate; slander; smear; smirch; sully

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "defame" is one way to...):

accuse; charge (blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "defame"):

assassinate (destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation)

libel (print slanderous statements against)

badmouth; drag through the mud; malign; traduce (speak unfavorably about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

defamation (an abusive attack on a person's character or good name)

defamation (a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions)

defamatory ((used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign)

defamer (one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel)

Credits