defame
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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Archaic. to disgrace; bring dishonor upon.
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Archaic. to accuse.
verb
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to attack the good name or reputation of; slander; libel
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archaic to indict or accuse
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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defamesimple
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defamessimple
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have defamedperfect
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has defamedperfect
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am defamingprogressive
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are defamingprogressive
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is defamingprogressive
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have been defamingperfect progressive
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has been defamingperfect progressive
Past
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defamedsimple
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had defamedperfect
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was defamingprogressive
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were defamingprogressive
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had been defamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of defame
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” ( see fame); replacing Middle English diffamen, from Anglo-French, Old French diffamer or directly from Medieval Latin, Latin, as above
Explanation
Even though Joan Jett sang about not minding her bad reputation, most of us don't want others to defame us. To defame is to gossip, even if the story is made-up, with the goal of hurting someone's image. We usually think of fame as a positive thing. Love, admiration, and people wanting to be like you — it all comes with the territory. The de- in defame means "remove." So if someone tries to defame a person, fame — or a good reputation — is taken away. Celebrities protect themselves from those who want to defame them, arming themselves with lawyers.
Vocabulary lists containing defame
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)
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Intermediate, List 6
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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:
She also denied online rumours that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump, calling them "mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation".
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
The all-out legal brawl between Baldoni and Lively escalated when Baldoni sued The New York Times for defamation, claiming the paper had colluded with Lively to use text messages out of context to defame him.
From Salon ● Jan. 17, 2025
It contends that county officials went out of their way to defame Baldwin and their pursuit of criminal charges deprived the actor-producer of his civil rights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
Last year, she filed suit against the church, seeking to end what she said were the “mob-style tactics” it had used to harass and defame her.
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2024
The films often had the opposite effect: Despite the mountains of evidence, many Hitler Youth told themselves that the films were exaggerated, if not invented by the Allies as propaganda intended to defame the Nazis.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
A Hong Kong arts hub cancelled the revival of an LGBTQ-themed play hours before tickets went on sale on Saturday, the cast said, after complaints that it "defames" the Chinese city.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025
If she fails to do so or defames the singer, “Britney will be forced to consider and take all appropriate legal action.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2022
This is a reference to Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code, which states: "Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, Heir-Apparent or Regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2020
When the party that defames you has deep pockets Good lawyers will tell you that every lawsuit has to have a practical component to it.
From Encyclopedia.com ● Jun. 6, 2018
“It’s slanderous. It defames my good name. It’s a shameful way for a member of the Arcanum to behave.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
The lawyer said the arrests happened now to prevent the brothers from having their day in court in an upcoming civil case they filed against a woman they claim defamed them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Today's Supreme Court decision affirms once and for all the jury's unanimous verdict that President Donald J. Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E. Jean Carroll," said Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
“Instead of actually listening to us and providing evidence of studies or environmental impact statements, we just get called names and bullied and defamed on national television.”
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
The president claimed the newspaper defamed him in a 17 July report that said Trump's name was in a "birthday book" given to Epstein in 2003.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Bernard Gui hotly denied these assertions, which he declared to be precisely those with which the heretics defamed the Holy Office to its great damage.
From A History of The Inquisition of The Middle Ages; volume I by Lea, Henry Charles
Chaves has had strained ties with local media, whom he accuses of defaming him.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
But the parade of horribles recounted by Mr. Shapiro are at once comic and terrifying: deans harassing speakers, law students defaming anyone holding divergent views, faculty obsessed with idiotic academic theories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
It also accuses Ms Javadli of posting videos on social media in which "she insulted and slandered" her former husband as well as defaming the state and violating state laws.
From BBC ● Nov. 25, 2025
At the time, he denied the allegations and accused one woman of defaming him, and the other woman of illegally taking his cellphone after consenting to being recorded.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
Adams read in the newspapers that Jefferson had compiled “a Magazine of slips of newspapers, and pamphlets, vilifying, calumniating and defaming you.”
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
