Definitions for: Slander


[n] an abusive attack on a person's character or good name
[n] words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another
[v] 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"



Webster (1913) Definition: Slan"der, n. [OE. sclandere, OF. esclandre, esclandle,
escandre, F. esclandre, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. ??? a snare,
stumbling block, offense, scandal; probably originally, the
spring of a trap, and akin to Skr. skand to spring, leap. See
Scan, and cf. Scandal.]
1. A false tale or report maliciously uttered, tending to
injure the reputation of another; the malicious utterance
of defamatory reports; the dissemination of malicious
tales or suggestions to the injury of another.

Whether we speak evil of a man to his face or behind
his back; the former way, indeed, seems to be the
most generous, but yet is a great fault, and that
which we call ``reviling;'' the latter is more mean
and base, and that which we properly call
``slander'', or ``Backbiting.'' --Tillotson.

[We] make the careful magistrate The mark of
slander. --B. Jonson.



2. Disgrace; reproach; dishonor; opprobrium.

Thou slander of thy mother's heavy womb. --Shak.

3. (Law) Formerly, defamation generally, whether oral or
written; in modern usage, defamation by words spoken;
utterance of false, malicious, and defamatory words,
tending to the damage and derogation of another; calumny.
See the Note under Defamation. --Burril.


Slan"der, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Slandered; p. pr. &
vb. n. Slandering.]
1. To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false
report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false
tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.

O, do not slander him, for he is kind. --Shak.

2. To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.

Tax not so bad a voice To slander music any more
than once. --Shak.

Syn: To asperse; defame; calumniate; vilify; malign; belie;
scandalize; reproach. See Asperse.

Synonyms: asperse, aspersion, besmirch, calumniate, calumny, defamation, defame, denigrate, denigration, smear, smirch, sully

See Also: accuse, assassinate, attack, badmouth, calumny, charge, defamation, drag through the mud, hatchet job, libel, malign, mud, obloquy, speech act, traduce, traducement

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