slanderous
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of slanderous
First recorded in 1400–50; see slander ( def. ), -ous ( def. )
Explanation
If you deliberately lie about someone in order to harm them, your statement is slanderous. If you know your brother was home all day, it's slanderous to claim you saw him stealing candy at the supermarket. When you say something you know is untrue about another person, that's slander—and saying it is slanderous. It's slanderous to spread malicious rumors about a business because you're mad at its owner, or to tell a lie about your opponent in the student council election to boost your chances of winning. In some cases, making slanderous statements is considered a crime.
Vocabulary lists containing slanderous
Flush
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The Taming of the Shrew
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
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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.
As Mr. Mintzker traces the origins and purposes behind that slanderous 1602 pamphlet, he encounters the work of Jacob Schudt, a German theologian and devout Lutheran who around 1714 began publishing his four-volume “Jewish Memorabilia.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Meanwhile, one fan filed a $100m lawsuit against the NFL, external over "slanderous statements" about Sanders which "influenced the NFL's decision-making process".
From BBC • Aug. 26, 2025
He and others considered the allegation that he might not be a Trump supporter to be slanderous.
From Slate • May 6, 2024
The lawsuit alleges the principal and the district violated the California Education Code, which provides strong protections for student journalism and free speech with few exceptions, such as content that is obscene, libelous or slanderous.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2024
“The constable was not amused, and the gentleman was fined for slanderous action against a lady of the town.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
