verb
Meaning 1
To make hurtful untrue comments about.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: diss, slander
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
calumniate
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/kəˈlʌmni.eɪt/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
verb
Meaning 2
To levy a false charge against, especially of a vague offense, with the intent to damage someone's reputation or standing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: diss, slander, traduce, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The journalists have defamed me!
- The article in the paper sullied my reputation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, smear, sully, besmirch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: charge, accuse
Narrower terms: assassinate, libel, badmouth, malign, traduce, drag through the mud
History
Etymology
First attested in 1554; borrowed from Latin calumniātus, perfect passive participle of calumnior (“to blame, cavil at; to accuse falsely”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Across languages
Translations
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Chinese Mandarin: 誹謗 /诽谤 (fěibàng) — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Esperanto: kalumnii — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Finnish: mustamaalata — to make hurtful untrue statements
- French: calomnier — to make hurtful untrue statements
- German: verleumden — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Hungarian: rágalmaz — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Hungarian: megrágalmaz — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Italian: calunniare — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Japanese: 中傷する (chūshō suru) — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Korean: 비방한 위하여 (bibanghan wihayeo) — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Latin: calumnior — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Lithuanian: apšmeižti — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Lithuanian: šmeižti — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Polish: oczerniać — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Polish: oczernić — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Portuguese: caluniar — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Russian: оклеветать (oklevetatʹ) — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Spanish: calumniar — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Swedish: förtala — to make hurtful untrue statements
- Swedish: smutskasta — to make hurtful untrue statements