defame

[dih-feym]

verb (used with object)

defamed, defaming 

1. to attack the good name or reputation of, as by uttering or publishing maliciously or falsely anything injurious; slander or libel; calumniate.

   The newspaper editorial defamed the politician.

   Synonyms: backbite, denigrate, revile, derogate, vilify, discredit, disparage, malign

2. Archaic.,  to disgrace; bring dishonor upon.

3. Archaic.,  to accuse.

defame

/ dɪˈfeɪm /

verb

1. to attack the good name or reputation of; slander; libel

2. archaic,  to indict or accuse

Other Word Forms

• defamer noun
• defamingly adverb
• undefamed adjective
• undefaming adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of defame¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English defamen, from Anglo-French defamer or directly from Medieval Latin dēfāmāre, variant of Medieval Latin, Latin diffāmāre ( dē- de- for dif-; compare Latin dēfāmātus “infamous”) “to spread the news of, slander,” equivalent to dif- dif- + -fāmāre verbal derivative of fāma “news, rumor, slander” ( fame ); replacing Middle English diffamen, from Anglo-French, Old French diffamer or directly from Medieval Latin, Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of defame¹

C14: from Old French defamer, from Latin dēfāmāre, from diffāmāre to spread by unfavourable report, from fāma _fame

Example Sentences

After all, he has seemed to take special pleasure in spreading ugly, unfounded rumors about people, such as defaming Haitian immigrants by claiming they eat people’s pets.

Read more on Salon

Smart Shirts Ltd, a Hong Kong supplier of garments with customers in the UK, brought a claim for libel, alleging it had been defamed as its name was included.

Read more on BBC

But some commentators who weren’t right-wing made similar arguments, while ardently defaming the poor.

Read more on Salon

So far, no U.S. court has awarded damages to someone defamed by an AI chatbot.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Even after she won $5 million, he continued to defame her.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• besmirch 
• denigrate 
• discredit 
• disgrace 
• disparage 
• malign 
• scandalize 
• smear 
• vilify