name-calling
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of name-calling
First recorded in 1890–95
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.
The pair have sparred on social media for years, and Trump has responded to his opponent with name-calling.
From BBC • Oct. 10, 2025
Decorum is no longer required, and mean-spirited name-calling is no longer discouraged.
From Slate • Dec. 11, 2024
That one word proved surprisingly effective in confounding a former president known for name-calling, and it catapulted the blunt-speaking Walz into the national spotlight.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2024
Cavuto questioned the purpose of the name-calling the vice president has faced from Republicans like Kennedy, calling it “petty.”
From Salon • Jul. 30, 2024
“It’s the soggy Spares!” yelled some of the other spectators, and Seven’s cheeks went hot from the name-calling.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
