Synonyms

character assassination

American

noun

a slandering attack, especially one intended to damage the reputation of a public or political figure.

character assassination British

noun

the act of deliberately attempting to destroy a person's reputation by defamatory remarks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of character assassination

First recorded in 1945–50

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:

character assassination

It was a full-blooded attempt at character assassination, a branding of Rodgers as untrustful, a perpetrator of untruths, a spreader of falsehoods; divisive, misleading and unacceptable.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025

When stories like this come out in the news, it can become a character assassination.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2025

“These allegations are the worst form of character assassination on Lythgoe.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2024

Once one of Appalachia’s wealthiest men, Blankenship has spent thousands on lawsuits alleging he has been the victim of defamation and character assassination, all of which have been rejected by courts — including the U.S.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2024

He vigorously denied her claims, calling them "false, despicable, intolerable and life-changing" and describing them as "the worst form of character assassination".

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023