Standard Lemma guide

traduce

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /tɹəˈdjuːs/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /tɹəˈdʒuːs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /tɹəˈdus/
  • General-American: /tɹəˈdjus/
  • Canada: /tɹəˈdus/
  • rhymes with -uːs

1

verb

Meaning 1

To malign a person or entity by making malicious and false or defamatory statements.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defame, libel, slander, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, 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, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To pass on (to one's children, future generations etc.); to transmit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hand down, bequeath, leave

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To pass into another form of expression; to rephrase, to translate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

speak unfavorably about

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She badmouths her husband everywhere

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, malign, drag through the mud

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch

History

Etymology

From Latin trādūcō (“carry over; lead as a spectacle, dishonor”), from trāns + dūcō (“to lead”). Doublet of transduce, from Latin trānsdūcō.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: клеветя (klevetja) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Bulgarian: злословя (zloslovja) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誹謗 /诽谤 (fěibàng) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Chinese Mandarin: 詆毀 /诋毁 (dǐhuǐ) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Finnish: panetella — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • French: calomnier — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • French: diffamer — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • German: verleumden — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Ancient Greek: βλασφημέω (blasphēméō) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Māori: whakakinokino — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Māori: whakahahani — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Māori: whakarōriki — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Māori: whakahariharitae — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Māori: kehi — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Māori: whakakino — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Norwegian: bakvaske — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Romanian: defăima — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Russian: клевета́ть (klevetátʹ) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Russian: злословить (zloslovitʹ) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Russian: наговаривать (nagovarivatʹ) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Russian: оговаривать (ogovarivatʹ) — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Spanish: calumniar — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Spanish: difamar — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Turkish: iftira etmek — to malign by making malicious and false or defamatory statements
  • Bulgarian: предавам (predavam) — to pass on; to transmit
  • Finnish: siirtää — to pass on; to transmit
  • Russian: передава́ть (peredavátʹ) — to pass on; to transmit
  • Spanish: legar — to pass on; to transmit
  • Finnish: sovittaa — to pass into another form of expression
  • French: traduire — to pass into another form of expression
  • Italian: tradurre — to pass into another form of expression
  • Portuguese: traduzir — to pass into another form of expression
  • Spanish: traducir — to pass into another form of expression