/ English Dictionary |
DEFAME
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they defame ... he / she / it defames
Past simple: defamed
-ing form: defaming
Sense 1
Meaning:
Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
Example:
The article in the paper sullied my reputation
Synonyms:
asperse; besmirch; calumniate; defame; denigrate; slander; smear; smirch; sully
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "defame" is one way to...):
accuse; charge (blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "defame"):
assassinate (destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation)
libel (print slanderous statements against)
badmouth; drag through the mud; malign; traduce (speak unfavorably about)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Derivation:
defamation (an abusive attack on a person's character or good name)
defamation (a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions)
defamatory ((used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign)
defamer (one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel)