defame

verb

de·​fame di-ˈfām 

dē-

defamed; defaming

transitive verb

1

law : to harm the reputation of by communicating false statements about : to harm the reputation of by libel (see libel entry 1 sense 2a) or slander (see slander entry 2 sense 2)

defamed her character

2

archaic : accuse

defamed of witchcraft

3

archaic : disgrace

defamer noun

Synonyms

• libel
• smear
• humiliate
• discredit

Choose the Right Synonym for defame

malign, traduce, asperse, vilify, calumniate, defame, slander mean to injure by speaking ill of.

malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying.

the most maligned monarch in British history

traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.

so traduced the governor that he was driven from office

asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction.

both candidates aspersed the other's motives

vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse.

no criminal was more vilified in the press

calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions.

falsely calumniated as a traitor

defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name.

sued them for defaming her reputation

slander stresses the suffering of the victim.

town gossips slandered their good name

Examples of defame in a Sentence

He says he was defamed by reports that falsely identified him as a former gangster.

of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so

Recent Examples on the Web

Late last year, the satirical news source the Onion, along with the Sandy Hook families who Jones defamed, successfully bid on InfoWars to cover the damages. —Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Carroll, now 81, accused Trump of attacking her around 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan, and defaming her in an October 2022 Truth Social post by denying her claim as a hoax. —Jonathan Stempel, USA Today, 14 June 2025

In a January newsletter explaining why their friendship had ended, Sam Harris, a public intellectual, wrote that Mr. Musk had used his social media platform to defame people and promote lies. —Kirsten Grind, New York Times, 30 May 2025

The jury ultimately ruled that Heard did defame Depp in the op-ed, while also ruling Depp defamed Heard in the course of fighting back against her charges. —Zack Sharf, Variety, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French deffamer, diffamer, from Medieval Latin defamare, alteration of Latin diffamare, from dis- + fama reputation, fame

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for defame

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe
• nickname

Kids Definition

defame

verb

de·​fame di-ˈfām 

defamed; defaming

: to injure or destroy the reputation of : speak evil of : libel

defamation

ˌdef-ə-ˈmā-shən

noun

defamatory

di-ˈfam-ə-ˌtōr-ē

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

defamer noun

Legal Definition

defame

transitive verb

de·​fame di-ˈfām 

defamed; defaming

: to make the subject of defamation

defamer noun

Etymology

Medieval Latin defamare, alteration of Latin diffamare to spread news of, defame, from dis-, prefix marking dispersal or removal + fama reputation