Synonyms of calumny

calumny

noun

ˈka-ləm-nē 

as in libel

the making of false statements that damage another's reputation

a blogger whose site is little more than a foulmouthed forum for calumny and rumormongering

Synonyms & Similar Words

• libel
• defamation
• libeling
• defaming
• slander
• criticism
• smearing
• vilification
• abuse
• censure
• attack
• calumniation
• blackening
• contempt
• traducing
• malice
• smear
• maligning
• vilifying
• character assassination
• innuendo
• vituperation
• aspersion
• mud
• invective
• denunciation
• detraction
• maliciousness
• backbiting
• disdain
• aspersing
• scorn
• spite
• disparagement
• spitefulness
• denigration
• malignity
• meanness
• hatefulness
• venom
• malevolence
• belittlement
• malignancy
• muck
• hatchet job
• viciousness
• spleen
• nastiness
• despite
• cattiness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• praise
• applause
• commendation
• acclaim
• respect
• esteem
• honor
• flattery
• accolade
• worship
• reverence
• adoration
• veneration
• adulation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of calumny

Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026

The declaration also highlights the need to report facts, not suppress or falsify information, and avoid discrimination, bribery, and calumny. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May 2026

Shapiro released a special 41-minute episode of his podcast detailing Fuentes’s career of calumnies against Black people, Indian Americans, Jews, and women—and called out Carlson’s refusal to confront the young white supremacist about any of it. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026

This egregious calumny is not, however, attributable solely to the disease of the soul that translates into Republicanism according to Biden. — The Editors, National Review, 22 May 2024

Within Israel, though, the ICJ case is seen by most as a calumny that only proves antisemitism’s enduring nature. — Marc Champion, Twin Cities, 21 Jan. 2024

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