name-calling
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of name-calling
First recorded in 1890–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The name-calling hit Ayden especially hard, Gatlin said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
The pair have sparred on social media for years, and Trump has responded to his opponent with name-calling.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025
But it’s fair to say that Reagan never indulged in outright name-calling or hateful invective, stressed his desire for negotiation over confrontation and left the nuclear saber-rattling to subordinates.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2025
Decorum is no longer required, and mean-spirited name-calling is no longer discouraged.
From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2024
Gone was the bland acceptance of people minding their own business, replaced by a visible, angry resentment that became gossip, and taunts and name-calling in the school yard.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
