slander

1 of 2

verb

slan·​der ˈslan-dər 

slandered; slandering ˈslan-d(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to utter slander against : defame

slanderer

ˈslan-dər-ər 

noun

slander

2 of 2

noun

1

: the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation

2

: a false and defamatory oral statement about a person compare libel

slanderous

ˈslan-d(ə-)rəs 

adjective

slanderously adverb

slanderousness noun

Synonyms

Verb

• asperse
• blacken
• calumniate
• defame
• libel
• malign
• smear
• traduce
• vilify

Noun

• aspersing
• blackening
• calumniation
• calumny
• character assassination
• defamation
• defaming
• libel
• libeling
• libelling
• maligning
• smearing
• traducing
• vilification
• vilifying

Choose the Right Synonym for slander

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 slander in a Sentence

Verb

She was accused of slandering her former boss.

Noun

She is being sued for slander.

He was a target of slander.

We've heard countless unsupported slanders about her.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The aftermath of the shooting was disappointing but not surprising; though Megan was the victim, not the perpetrator of the violence, she was harassed and slandered by everyone from her peers in the industry to keyboard warriors on social media. —Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 7 Nov. 2023

Why did Jews embrace entertainment that slandered them? —Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2023

These are people who have no compunctions about slandering working Americans while taking every opportunity themselves for slacking off. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023

The Chainsmokers and Miranda Lambert need to stop slandering the selfie’s name. —Vulture, 18 July 2023

And tonight’s final chapter did not disappoint, though was oversold by its executive producer, spawning a plethora of wild conspiracy theories, from a Raquel pregnancy to Lisa Vanderpump slander to a Brock/Raquel tryst to Scandoval originating pre-Rachella. —Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2023

At the time, the actor dismissed the claims as an attempt to slander Scientology. —James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023

To many observers, the suspension seemed like an extreme example of overcautious regulatory-state bureaucracy, or, worse, rank hysteria, or even an attempt by Europeans, still resentful about being put in line behind Britain, to slander a good vaccine—sour grapes on a spectacular scale. —Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2021

This article was well written, not slandering, a little chipper, but told the story of a basketball team that played together, grew together but lost in the biggest game of the year. —Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2023

Noun

The slander charge was handed down after Knox wrongfully accused Perugia bar owner Patrick Lumumba of committing the crime, though he was released two weeks later after someone came forward with an alibi for him, according to The Guardian. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 14 Oct. 2023

Since 1969, the German penal code has forbidden the public slander of religions and worldviews. —Armin Langer, The Conversation, 29 Aug. 2023

The law, however, says that literature may be distributed as long as it is not offered for sale and is cleared first with the school principal eo ensure against libel, slander and obscenity. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2023

The teachers, asserting libel, slander and false-light defamation, are asking for a jury trial to decide on compensatory and punitive damages for reputation-damaging statements that subjected them to extensive embarrassment and harassment. —John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 6 Aug. 2023

The lawsuit, filed on March 6 of this year, alleges retaliation, slander, intentional infliction of emotional damage and supervisory liability, according to the complaint reviewed by PEOPLE. —Corin Cesaric, Peoplemag, 28 July 2023

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido and the county have been hit with a new federal lawsuit, by a former assistant prosecutor applicant, alleging unlawful discrimination and slander. —Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 4 July 2023

The last royal to do so was King Edward VII, who testified as a witness in a divorce case in 1870 and again in a slander trial over a card game in 1890 before becoming King. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 7 June 2023

Though the prince was not accused of wrongdoing, the counsel for Sir William Gordon Cumming, the plaintiff who sued for slander after he was accused of cheating, tried to make the case a referendum on the prince’s behavior. —Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sclaundre, slaundre, from Anglo-French esclandre, alteration of escandle, from Late Latin scandalum stumbling block, offense — more at scandal entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

slander

1 of 2 noun

slan·​der ˈslan-dər 

1

: the making of false statements that damage another's reputation

2

: a false and harmful oral statement about a person

slanderous

-d(ə-)rəs

adjective

slanderously adverb

slander

2 of 2 verb

slandered; slandering

-d(ə-)riŋ

: to utter slander against : defame

slanderer

-dər-ər

noun

Legal Definition

slander

1 of 2 transitive verb

slan·​der ˈslan-dər 

: to utter slander against

slanderer noun

slander

2 of 2 noun

1

: defamation of a person by unprivileged oral communication made to a third party

also : defamatory oral statements

2

: the tort of oral defamation

sued his former employer for slander

compare defamation, false light, libel

Note: An action for slander may be brought without alleging and proving special damages if the statements in question have a plainly harmful character, as by imputing to the plaintiff criminal guilt, serious sexual misconduct, or conduct or a characteristic affecting his or her business or profession.

slanderous

ˈslan-də-rəs 

adjective

slanderously adverb

slanderousness noun

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French esclandre, from Old French escandle esclandre scandal, from Late Latin scandalum moral stumbling block, disgrace, from Greek skandalon, literally, snare, trap