traduce

American  

[truh-doos, -dyoos] / trəˈdus, -ˈdyus /

verb (used with object)

traduced, traducing

1. to speak maliciously and falsely of; slander; defame.

   to traduce someone's character.

   Synonyms:

   disparage, decry, vilify

   Antonyms:

   praise

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traduce British  

/ trəˈdjuːs /

verb

1. (tr) to speak badly of

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Other Word Forms

• traducement noun
• traducer noun
• traducible adjective
• traducingly adverb
• untraduced adjective

Etymology

Origin of traduce

1525–35; < Latin trādūcere, variant of trānsdūcere to transfer, display, expose, equivalent to trāns- trans- + dūcere to lead

Explanation

To traduce is to badmouth someone or something. If you don't want people talking trash about you, then don't traduce them either — even if they started it. Among cabaret performers, there is long tradition of traducing other performers — though at its heart, it's really a way of showing affection. Showing love by being mean: such is the strange world of camp. Of course, in order to know that a person is being funny when they traduce another person, you usually have to know them both pretty well. So if you're not either very familiar or very funny, avoid traducing other people for laughs: they're likely to think that you meant all those nasty things.

Example Sentences

Artificial-intelligence researchers rush to create it, even though computer-as-brain metaphors traduce the complexity of human biology, at least for now.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

“The government will in no way traduce or criticize the work of the committee who are doing exactly what Parliament has asked them to do.”

From Washington Times • Jun. 12, 2023

Además, es lo que traduce entre inglés y español en servicios como Traductor de Google.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2023

Un estudio de la Universidad de Princeton entre otras, concluyó que la deforestación de la Amazonia se traduce en un 20 por ciento menos de precipitaciones en el noroeste de Estados Unidos.

From Scientific American • Nov. 12, 2022

“Mrs. Watson,” he said, “I’d like to in- traduce you to your long-lost son from Siam, His Royal Highness, Yul Watson!”

From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis