name-calling

American  

[neym-kaw-ling] / ˈneɪmˌkɔ lɪŋ /

noun

1. the use of abusive names to belittle or humiliate another person in a political campaign, an argument, etc.

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name-calling British  

noun

1. verbal abuse, esp as a crude form of argument

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Etymology

Origin of name-calling

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

name-calling

The name-calling hit Ayden especially hard, Gatlin said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

So I’m just curious if there’s some weird middle ground that dissenting justices and lower-court judges need to find so that it doesn’t look like name-calling or editorializing?

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2025

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

In all, there could not have been more than a dozen incidents of name-calling.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Related Words

• insult