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

Note: Do not confuse slander with libel, which refers to written, and especially published, defamation.

slanderous

ˈslan-d(ə-)rəs 

adjective

slanderously adverb

slanderousness noun

Synonyms of slander

Verb

• libel
• smear

Noun

• libel
• defamation
• defaming
• libeling

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

Dearborn has often been slandered for simply coexisting peacefully, because the truth is, some people are uncomfortable, and frankly upset about seeing church steeples and mosque domes share the same skyline on roads. —Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 24 Sep. 2025

In this article, the authors engage various writing devices to slander a good man assassinated for the crime of engaging in, and encouraging, free speech for all. —James Gaylord, Oc Register, 15 Sep. 2025

Noun

Jones accused Parker of slander and defamation, and said the incident could have an impact on the ability of her nonprofit to raise funds. —Amanda McCoy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Oct. 2025

The Guardian should sue for slander. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for slander

• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander
• laender
• lander
• pander
• sander
• stander
• zander

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