defame

verb

di-ˈfām How to pronounce defame (audio)
Definition of defamenext
1
as in to libel
to make untrue and harmful statements about of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to accuse
archaic to make a claim of wrongdoing against so the harmless old woman was defamed of witchcraft

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defame differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of defame are asperse, calumniate, malign, slander, traduce, and vilify. While all these words mean "to injure by speaking ill of," defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name.

sued them for defaming her reputation

When could asperse be used to replace defame?

In some situations, the words asperse and defame are roughly equivalent. However, asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction.

both candidates aspersed the other's motives

When is it sensible to use calumniate instead of defame?

While the synonyms calumniate and defame are close in meaning, calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions.

falsely calumniated as a traitor

Where would malign be a reasonable alternative to defame?

Although the words malign and defame have much in common, malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying.

the most maligned monarch in British history

In what contexts can slander take the place of defame?

The meanings of slander and defame largely overlap; however, slander stresses the suffering of the victim.

town gossips slandered their good name

When can traduce be used instead of defame?

The words traduce and defame are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.

so traduced the governor that he was driven from office

When would vilify be a good substitute for defame?

The words vilify and defame can be used in similar contexts, but vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse.

no criminal was more vilified in the press

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defame Kim was eventually dropped from the defamation suit, before a jury found the family not guilty of defaming Chyna in May 2022. —Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025 In the process of reaching a settlement in January, he was held in contempt twice, by two different federal judges, for failing to relinquish possessions and continuing to defame the two election workers. —T. Michelle Murphy, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2025 Outright lies that defame people can trigger lawsuits and damages. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2025 This decision follows a 2024 arbitration ruling in which McDonough was awarded nearly $3 million after an NFL arbitrator appointed by Commissioner Roger Goodell, Jeffrey Mishkin, determined the Cardinals had defamed him. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defame
  1. libel
  2. accuse
  3. smear
  4. indict
  5. humiliate
  6. discredit
Verb
  • As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.
    — George Pendle, airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Please ask your daughter to stop libeling Miss Manners.
    — Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of libel
Verb
  • Yet the club had drawn one too many games in the opening months of the season, and Motta had been accused of lacking the ruthlessness that’s needed at a club like Juve by some of the club’s former greats.
    — Emmet Gates, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • He is accused of stalking the CEO, a married father of two, and shooting him in the back outside a shareholder conference in early December.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of accuse
Verb
  • Timothy Martin smeared red and black paint on a case shielding a nearly 150-year-old sculpture by Edgar Degas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Martin and a companion on April 27, 2023, entered the Washington, DC, museum and smeared washable red and black paint on the case protecting Edgar Degas’s 1881 Little Dancer Aged Fourteen in an effort to bring attention to the climate crisis.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of smear
Verb
  • Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was indicted yesterday on two counts of stalking, one firearms offense and murder through use of a firearm.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Court records show he was then indicted in June 2020 for misconduct in office.
    — Will Carless, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of indict
Verb
  • There was a period when Broadway creators thought the only way to get a performance was to humiliate a person.
    — Mark Seliger, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
  • An investigation of at least eight fraternities found that members humiliated students through means like beating them with paddles or forcing potential recruits to eat live fish and drink urine, according to court filings.
    — Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of humiliate
Verb
  • His tariffs were not based on the import taxes charged by other countries but by the size of each trade deficit, a calculation that instantly discredited the policy with many economists and investors.
    — Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Bolsonaro’s efforts to discredit the election had already found allies abroad.
    — Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of discredit

Browse Nearby Words

defamatory
defame
defamed
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Cite this Entry

“Defame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defame. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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