calumniate

verb

ca·​lum·​ni·​ate kə-ˈləm-nē-ˌāt How to pronounce calumniate (audio)
calumniated; calumniating
Synonyms of calumniatenext

transitive verb

1
: to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations about
2
: to injure the reputation of by calumny
calumniation
kə-ˌləm-nē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce calumniate (audio)
noun
calumniator
kə-ˈləm-nē-ˌā-tər How to pronounce calumniate (audio)
noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for calumniate

malign, traduce, asperse, vilify, calumniate, defame, slander mean to injure by speaking ill of.

malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying.

the most maligned monarch in British history

traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.

so traduced the governor that he was driven from office

asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction.

both candidates aspersed the other's motives

vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse.

no criminal was more vilified in the press

calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions.

falsely calumniated as a traitor

defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name.

sued them for defaming her reputation

slander stresses the suffering of the victim.

town gossips slandered their good name

Examples of calumniate in a Sentence

the short-lived Sedition Act of 1798 made it illegal to calumniate the President of the United States

Word History

First Known Use

1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of calumniate was in 1554

Dictionary Entries Near calumniate

calumet dance

calumniate

calumnize

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Calumniate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calumniate. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on calumniate

Nglish: Translation of calumniate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of calumniate for Arabic Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...