defame
Other forms: defamed; defaming; defames
Even though Joan Jett sang about not minding her bad reputation, most of us don't want others to defame us. To defame is to gossip, even if the story is made-up, with the goal of hurting someone's image.
We usually think of fame as a positive thing. Love, admiration, and people wanting to be like you — it all comes with the territory. The de- in defame means "remove." So if someone tries to defame a person, fame — or a good reputation — is taken away. Celebrities protect themselves from those who want to defame them, arming themselves with lawyers.
-
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone“"The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation”
-
types:
-
assassinate
destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation
-
libel
print slanderous statements against
-
badmouth, drag through the mud, malign, traduce
speak unfavorably about
-
assassinate
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing defame
This list of intermediate words features a mixture of easier and more difficult words that you may be less familiar with. Study these words and watch your GRE score grow.
After years of instability, Hayley and her father, Andy, return to Andy's hometown to make a fresh start. But Andy's PTSD from the Iraq War and Hayley's own traumatic memories threaten their ability to rebuild their lives.
This list covers Second Treatise of Government, Literary Seminar: Saying It with Satire, "A Modest Proposal," and Gulliver's Travels.
Look up defame for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
