verb
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to spread false rumours about; defame
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rare to sprinkle, as with water in baptism
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of asperse
1480–90; < Latin aspersus besprinkled (past participle of aspergere ), equivalent to a- a- 5 + -sper- (combining form of spar-, variant of sparg- sparge ) + -sus, variant of -tus past participle suffix
Vocabulary lists containing asperse
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.
See Examples For:
The hereditary duties of the King's Champion are to "gird himself in complete armor," ride out upon a noble charger, fling down his gauntlet, offer to fight all "liars and traitors" who asperse King Edward.
From Time Magazine Archive
With this threat blazoned, the British note went on to asperse individually and by name five officials of the Soviet Government.
From Time Magazine Archive
According to these principles, our doctors in their quarrels, injure, defame, calumniate, and asperse, and when they have the power, persecute and exterminate each other.
From Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul by Peter Annet
What is it to asperse? to malign? to traduce? to disparage?
From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by James Champlin Fernald
Superior excellence is the general mark for calumny; and envy is usually led to asperse what it cannot imitate.
From Alida or, Miscellaneous Sketches of Incidents During the Late American War. Founded on Fact by Amelia Stratton Comfield
During the first nine months of 1923 there were: Births 584,458 Deaths 506,007 Birth rate excess 78,451 The Paris press aspersed U. S. lib erty.
From Time Magazine Archive
All my husband's love and tenderness rose in remembrance, vindicating his aspersed honor.
From Ernest Linwood or, The Inner Life of the Author by Caroline Lee Hentz
"Sciochezza di Napoli" retorts the dealer at Messina or Palermo, vindicating at once his own honour, which seems aspersed, and that of his Trinacrian associates.
From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 369, July 1846 by Various
He sent two gentlemen to Boston to obtain satisfaction, and received only a letter "clearing the magistrates, but not the generalty, still aspersed without any known cause, complaint or notice."
From A Memoir of Sir Edmund Andros, Knt., Governor of New England, New York and Virginia, &c., &c. by William Henry Whitmore
But Sabellianism was a general slander with which they aspersed all orthodox pastors.
From The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints January, February, March by Alban Butler
J. Without unfairly aspersing Homer Cummings, it can be said that the D. o.
From Time Magazine Archive
He had brought this suit against Le Journal of Paris for libelously aspersing his patriotism as an Alsatian.
From Time Magazine Archive
It is true that his affection was of a somewhat odd type, presenting no obstacle to his aspersing the character of his lady-love, when he found it convenient to point a moral by so doing.
From Earl Hubert's Daughter The Polishing of the Pearl - A Tale of the 13th Century by Emily Sarah Holt
I understood the persistence of Alexis in aspersing her character.
From Marie; a story of Russian love by Marie H. de Zielinska
At one time he thought of writing to the Home Office and aspersing his accuser; then he regretted his visit to Ashtown Park.
From It Is Never Too Late to Mend by Charles Reade
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.
