Definition of Slander

Slan´der
n.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.
v. t.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.
[imp. & p. p. Slandered ; p. pr. & vb. n. Slandering.]
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.


Related Words

asperse, assail, attack, backbite, backstabbing, barefaced lie, belie, belittlement, bitchiness, blackwash, calumniate, calumniation, cattiness, character assassination, consummate lie, damage, decry, defamation, defamation of character, defame, denigrate, depreciation, dirt, disparage, disparagement, gossip column, hurt, injure, juicy morsel, malicious gossip, malign, misrepresentation, monstrous lie, muckrake, muckraking, obloquy, out-and-out lie, roorback, scandalmongering, slur, smear, strumpet, tale, tear down, the big lie, tidbit, traduce, traducement, vilification, vilify, whispering campaign, whopper

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