Definition of DEFAMING

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

Marquez’s suit also lists anyone who has worked with Gibson to defame Marquez, though none are named. — oregonlive.com, "Joey Gibson dared antifa member to sue him. So he is.," 3 June 2019 The former dean of Temple University’s Fox School of Business is suing the school for allegedly defaming his character by blaming him for an M.B.A. rankings scandal that involved fake student-test scores. — Kelsey Gee, WSJ, "Former Dean Sues Temple University After M.B.A. Rankings Scandal," 2 May 2019 Many federal contractors including Palantir and Dell have quietly settled with Labor to avoid being barred from government grants and defamed in legal filings. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Discriminating Against Oracle," 13 Feb. 2019 The judge may also consider separating Daniels' complaint that Cohen defamed her from a complaint against Trump and a shell company Cohen used regarding the hush agreement. — Katelyn Polantz, CNN, "Stormy Daniels' lawyer pushes back on Cohen's 'blanket' Fifth Amendment claims," 26 Apr. 2018 She was arrested in October in 2016 and subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison for defaming the Vietnam’s communist government. — James Hookway, WSJ, "Free More Dissidents, U.S. Asks Vietnam, After ‘Mother Mushroom’ Is Released," 18 Oct. 2018 Authorities say Jarrod Ramos, 38, made threats against the Capital Gazette, accusing the newspaper of defaming him in a column that described him pleading guilty to harassing a woman over social media. — Justin Wm. Moyer And Rachel Chason, Washington Post, "Newsrooms observe a moment of silence to honor Capital Gazette victims," 5 July 2018 On top of this, anyone even vaguely familiar with how respectable Washington defamed Judge Robert Bork and grossly distorted his record during his Supreme Court hearings further appreciates that incivility didn’t start when Mr. Trump came to town. — William Mcgurn, WSJ, "Playing the Civility Card," 10 Sep. 2018 Russian tech guru Aleksej Gubarev claimed that his companies, Webzilla and XBT Holding, were defamed after Buzzfeed published the 35-page unverified dossier authored by Christopher Steele in January 2017. — Cyd Upson, Fox News, "Grassley demands to see ex-spy Christopher Steele's videotaped deposition," 9 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.