poison-pen

American  

[poi-zuhn-pen] / ˈpɔɪ zənˈpɛn /

adjective

1. composed or sent maliciously, as a letter, usually anonymously and for the purpose of damaging another's reputation or happiness.

   The newspaper received a poison-pen letter alleging that the mayor was misusing city funds.

2. characterized by or given to the sending of poison-pen letters.

   a poison-pen campaign; a poison-pen writer.

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Etymology

Origin of poison-pen

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poison-pen

The gamebook offers a variety of multimedia evidence—cartoonish photographs of the main characters, typewritten notes, news clippings, poison-pen letters—and then encourages the would-be detectives to flip back and forth until they reach their conclusion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025

There’s no murder here, but someone is leaving poison-pen letters, repellent drawings and destructive wreckage around the campus; Harriet, drawn back for an alumni weekend, gets pulled into the mystery.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 15, 2019

In a secret location, the chairman of a panel called the 1922 Committee was collecting poison-pen letters from rebels within Mrs. May’s Conservative Party, calling for her to be removed as leader.

From New York Times ● Nov. 17, 2018

The Villemins alerted the police and began recording the calls, whereupon they stopped – and the poison-pen letters started.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 28, 2017

"Did you know anything about the poison-pen letters in Madison?"

From On Secret Service Detective-Mystery Stories Based on Real Cases Solved By Government Agents by Taft, William Nelson