Slander

/ˈslændər/

Meaning & Definition

noun

the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.

She filed a lawsuit against him for slander after he falsely accused her of theft.

a false and malicious spoken statement.

His slander spread quickly among the community, tarnishing her reputation.

verb

to make false and damaging statements about someone.

They slandered her character in an attempt to win the election.

to defame someone by speaking slanderous statements.

It is illegal to slander someone without evidence.

Middle English: from Old French 'eslandre', from Latin 'slandrare', from 'slando' meaning 'to be in a state of disgrace'.

slanderous remarks

False statements made about someone intended to harm their reputation.

to slander someone

To speak falsely about someone with the intent to damage their reputation.

a slander case

A legal case involving a claim of slander.

libel

Written defamation; a published false statement that injures a person's reputation.

defamation

The action of damaging the good reputation of someone; slander or libel.

malicious gossip

Harmful or untrue information about someone, typically spoken informally.

Throwing shade

She's just throwing shade when she talks about his past mistakes.

Dirt on someone

I've got some dirt on him that could ruin his career.