Library / English Dictionary

SLANDER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An abusive attack on a person's character or good name

Synonyms:

aspersion; calumny; defamation; denigration; slander

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("slander" is a kind of...):

attack (strong criticism)

Derivation:

slander (charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone)

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("slander" is a kind of...):

calumniation; calumny; defamation; hatchet job; obloquy; traducement (a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions)

speech act (the use of language to perform some act)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "slander"):

mud (slanderous remarks or charges)

Derivation:

slander (charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone)

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

 II. (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 "slander" 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 "slander"):

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:

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

slander (words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another)

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

Credits