poison-pen

American  

[poi-zuhn-pen] / ˈpɔɪ zənˈpɛn /

adjective

1. composed or sent maliciously, as a letter, usually anonymously and for the purpose of damaging another's reputation or happiness.

   The newspaper received a poison-pen letter alleging that the mayor was misusing city funds.

2. characterized by or given to the sending of poison-pen letters.

   a poison-pen campaign; a poison-pen writer.

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Etymology

Origin of poison-pen

First recorded in 1910–15

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poison-pen

Her biting, uncompromising style earned her the label of "poison-pen writer" from her critics.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

There’s no murder here, but someone is leaving poison-pen letters, repellent drawings and destructive wreckage around the campus; Harriet, drawn back for an alumni weekend, gets pulled into the mystery.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2019

A college student must prevent an impending disaster when he erroneously sends a poison-pen letter to his girlfriend.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2019

“Le Corbeau” is about a plague of poison-pen letters in a provincial town that has the effect of making the community seem even narrower and more oppressive: it closes in on itself.

From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2011

The poison-pen puzzle, as it came to be known in the department, first bobbed up some six months before Allison tackled it.

From On Secret Service Detective-Mystery Stories Based on Real Cases Solved By Government Agents by William Nelson Taft

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