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
She is of most amiable disposition, and I never knew her to—if I may coin a word—to asperse.
From Belford's Magazine, Volume II, No. 8, January, 1889 by Various
Thus far we may credit him— but what man of common sense can believe, that Richard went so far as publicly to asperse the honor of his own mother?
From Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of King Richard the Third by Horace Walpole
"I need none, sir; none will asperse me!" said she, haughtily.
From The Daltons, Volume I (of II) Or,Three Roads In Life by Charles James Lever
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
I would give my life rather than hear her aspersed by a calumnious word--give my life, aye, readily, willingly.'
From Fickle Fortune by Elisabeth Burstenbinder (AKA E. Werner)
First, He hath aspersed that church in the point of promiscuous communicating.
From The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) by George Gillespie
In this you imply that the editor of the Guardian has misrepresented your sentiments, and aspersed your character; and, if so, has he not changed his principles?
From The Story of My Life Being Reminiscences of Sixty Years' Public Service in Canada by J. George (John George) Hodgins
How strangely and how cruelly has the character of a bibliographer been aspersed!
From Bibliomania; or Book-Madness A Bibliographical Romance by Thomas Frognall Dibdin
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
She went still further, and wreaked her vengeance on St. James for the wounds he had inflicted on her vanity, by aspersing and slandering the innocent Rosalie.
From Ernest Linwood or, The Inner Life of the Author by Caroline Lee Hentz
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
