slander

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slan·der

(slăn′dər)

1. Law Oral communication of false and malicious statements that damage the reputation of another.

2. A false and malicious statement or report about someone.

v. slan·dered, slan·der·ing, slan·ders

v.tr.

To utter a slander about. See Synonyms at malign.

v.intr.

To utter or spread slander.

[Middle English slaundre, from Old French esclandre, alteration of escandle, from Latin scandalum, cause of offense, stumbling block; see scandal.]

slan′der·er n.

slan′der·ous adj.

slan′der·ous·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

slander

(ˈslɑːndə)

1. (Law) law

a. defamation in some transient form, as by spoken words, gestures, etc

b. a slanderous statement, etc

2. any false or defamatory words spoken about a person; calumny

to utter or circulate slander (about)

[C13: via Anglo-French from Old French escandle, from Late Latin scandalum a cause of offence; see scandal]

ˈslanderer n

ˈslanderous adj

ˈslanderously adv

ˈslanderousness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

slan•der

(ˈslæn dər)

n.

1. defamation; calumny.

2. a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report.

3. Law. defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc.

v.t.

4. to utter slander against; defame.

v.i.

5. to utter or circulate slander.

[1250–1300; (n.) Middle English s(c)laundre < Anglo-French esclaundre, Old French esclandre, alter. of escandle < Late Latin scandalum; see scandal]

slan′der•er, n.

slan′der•ous, adj.

slan′der•ous•ly, adv.

slan′der•ous•ness, n.

libel, slander - Libel—from Latin libellus, "little book"—must be published, while spoken defamatory remarks are slander; libel first meant "document, written statement."

Slander

Slanderers are like flies; they leap over all a man’s good parts to light upon his sores —John Tillotson
Slander is like a hornet; if you cannot kill it dead at the first blow, better not strike at it —Josh Billings
Slander, like coal, will either dirty your hand or burn it —Russian proverb

Slander

hatchet man See CRIMINALITY.

mud-slinging The use of slander, calumny, or malicious gossip to publicly denigrate a person’s character or ability. In its most common usage, mud-slinging (or mud-throwing) refers to the vituperative claims, counter-claims, and accusations which may be employed by one or more candidates in a vicious, no-holds-barred political campaign. The rationale for such tactics is well-stated in the proverbial statement, “If you throw enough dirt, some is sure to stick.”

This sweeping provision, if constitutional and enforceable, would have the effect of eliminating “mud-slinging” in political campaigns, perhaps indeed of revolutionizing campaign methods entirely. (National Municipal Review, 1914)

Mud-slinging is used in various other contexts, most of which involve slanderous comments made about a person who is in the public eye.

A woman in my position must expect to have more mud thrown at her than a less important person. (Florence Marryat, Under the Lilies and Roses, 1884)

slander

Past participle: slandered
Gerund: slandering

Imperative
slander
slander

Present
I slander
you slander
he/she/it slanders
we slander
you slander
they slander

Preterite
I slandered
you slandered
he/she/it slandered
we slandered
you slandered
they slandered

Present Continuous
I am slandering
you are slandering
he/she/it is slandering
we are slandering
you are slandering
they are slandering

Present Perfect
I have slandered
you have slandered
he/she/it has slandered
we have slandered
you have slandered
they have slandered

Past Continuous
I was slandering
you were slandering
he/she/it was slandering
we were slandering
you were slandering
they were slandering

Past Perfect
I had slandered
you had slandered
he/she/it had slandered
we had slandered
you had slandered
they had slandered

Future
I will slander
you will slander
he/she/it will slander
we will slander
you will slander
they will slander

Future Perfect
I will have slandered
you will have slandered
he/she/it will have slandered
we will have slandered
you will have slandered
they will have slandered

Future Continuous
I will be slandering
you will be slandering
he/she/it will be slandering
we will be slandering
you will be slandering
they will be slandering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been slandering
you have been slandering
he/she/it has been slandering
we have been slandering
you have been slandering
they have been slandering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been slandering
you will have been slandering
he/she/it will have been slandering
we will have been slandering
you will have been slandering
they will have been slandering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been slandering
you had been slandering
he/she/it had been slandering
we had been slandering
you had been slandering
they had been slandering

Conditional
I would slander
you would slander
he/she/it would slander
we would slander
you would slander
they would slander

Past Conditional
I would have slandered
you would have slandered
he/she/it would have slandered
we would have slandered
you would have slandered
they would have slandered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	slander - words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another calumniation, calumny, defamation, hatchet job, traducement, obloquy - a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions mud - slanderous remarks or charges speech act - the use of language to perform some act
	2.	slander - an abusive attack on a person's character or good name aspersion, calumny, defamation, denigration attack - strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work"
Verb	1.	slander - 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" asperse, besmirch, calumniate, defame, denigrate, smirch, sully, smear accuse, charge - blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against; "he charged the director with indifference" assassinate - destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation; "He assassinated his enemy's character" libel - print slanderous statements against; "The newspaper was accused of libeling him" badmouth, drag through the mud, malign, traduce - speak unfavorably about; "She badmouths her husband everywhere"

slander

noun

1. defamation, smear, libel, scandal, misrepresentation, calumny, backbiting, muckraking, obloquy, aspersion, detraction He is now suing the company for slander.
defamation praise, approval, acclaim, tribute, acclamation, laudation

verb

1. defame, smear, libel, slur, malign, detract, disparage, decry, vilify, traduce, backbite, blacken (someone's) name, calumniate, muckrake He has been questioned on suspicion of slandering the politician.
defame approve, praise, acclaim, applaud, compliment, laud, sing the praises of, big up (slang, chiefly Caribbean), eulogize

Proverbs
"Throw enough dirt and some will stick"
"Give a dog a bad name and hang him"

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

slander

noun

The expression of injurious, malicious statements about someone:

aspersion, calumniation, calumny, character assassination, defamation, denigration, detraction, scandal, traducement, vilification.

Law: libel.

verb

To make defamatory statements about:

asperse, backbite, calumniate, defame, malign, slur, tear down, traduce, vilify.

Law: libel.

Idiom: cast aspersions on.

Translations

إفْتِراءيَفْتَري

pomluvapomluvitosočitpomlouvat

bagtalebagtalelse

Verleumdung verleumden

συκοφαντία συκοφαντώ

calumnia difamación difamar

panetella

calomnier calomnie diffamer

rágalmazrágalmazásrágalom

rægjarógur

calunniare calunnia calunnioso

中傷

apmelojumsapmelotcelt neslavuneslava

baktaling

оговорить порочить злословить клеветать лгать

baktalaförtalförtala

iftiraiftira etmek

诽谤造谣中伤

slander

[ˈslɑːndəʳ]

A. N (gen) → calumnia f (Jur) → difamación f
they have been spreading slanders about the company → han estado levantando calumnias sobre la empresa
to sue sb for slander → demandar a algn por difamación

B. VT (gen) → calumniar (Jur) → difamar
they have slandered my name/reputation → han deshonrado mi nombre/han manchado mi reputación

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

slander

[ˈslɑːndə^r]

n → calomnie f (LAW) → diffamation f
to sue sb for slander → attaquer qn en diffamation
a slander on sb → une calomnie contre qn

vt → calomnier (LAW) → diffamer

slander

n → Verleumdung f

vt → verleumden

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

slander

[ˈslɑːndəʳ]

1. n → calunnia (Law) → diffamazione f

2. vt → calunniare (Law) → diffamare

slander

(ˈslaːndə) noun

(the act of making) an untrue spoken, not written, statement about a person with the intention of damaging that person's reputation. That story about her is nothing but a wicked slander!

verb

to make such statements about (a person etc).

References in classic literature ?

A SLANDER travelling rapidly through the land upon its joyous mission was accosted by a Retraction and commanded to halt and be killed.

"Why should you slay me?" protested the Slander. "Whatever my intentions were, I have been innocuous, for you have dogged my strides and counteracted my influence."

View in context

The world, I am afraid, regards not this monster with half the abhorrence which he deserves; and I am more afraid to assign the reason of this criminal lenity shown towards him; yet it is certain that the thief looks innocent in the comparison; nay, the murderer himself can seldom stand in competition with his guilt: for slander is a more cruel weapon than a sword, as the wounds which the former gives are always incurable.

Besides the dreadful mischiefs done by slander, and the baseness of the means by which they are effected, there are other circumstances that highly aggravate its atrocious quality; for it often proceeds from no provocation, and seldom promises itself any reward, unless some black and infernal mind may propose a reward in the thoughts of having procured the ruin and misery of another.

View in context

"Women never escape slander," replied the marquise, after a moment's pause.

-- people say that I am in love, and yet they do not slander me!"

View in context

You see what an effect your heedless speech has had; you ought to have been more considerate than to blurt out such a cruel piece of slander as that."

Howard, and I wouldn't have done it if I had thought; but it ain't slander; it's perfectly true, just as I told him."

View in context

I asked him if any slander had been spoken of me in Rachel's hearing.

View in context

And this circumstance, while it explains the true motives of Lady Susan's conduct, and removes all the blame which has been so lavished on her, may also convince us how little the general report of anyone ought to be credited; since no character, however upright, can escape the malevolence of slander. If my sister, in the security of retirement, with as little opportunity as inclination to do evil, could not avoid censure, we must not rashly condemn those who, living in the world and surrounded with temptations, should be accused of errors which they are known to have the power of committing.

View in context

What is the use of that, when a third of their army has melted away on the road from Moscow to Vyazma without any battle?" But drawing from his aged wisdom what they could understand, he told them of the golden bridge, and they laughed at and slandered him, flinging themselves on, rending and exulting over the dying beast.

View in context

You might as well slander Fred: it comes pretty near to it when you refuse to say you didn't set a slander going.