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

His work and him; to forge, and then declaim, Traduce, corrupt, apply, inform, suggest; O, these are gifts wherein your souls are blest.

From The Poetaster by Jonson, Ben