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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal exhibition of bad temper |
| Synonyms: | abuse, animadversion, backbiting, backhanded compliment, black eye, calumny, defamation, detraction, dirty dig, hit*, invective, knock*, libel, obloquy, put-down, rap, slam*, slander, smear, vituperation |
| Notes: | baptism by sprinkling is aspersion, by dipping is immersion, by pouring water is affusion |
| Antonyms: | calmness, happiness, kindness, mildness |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | criticism |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal disapproval |
| Synonyms: | Bronx cheer, animadversion, aspersion, bad press, blast, brickbats, call down, carping, cavil, caviling, censure, critical remarks, cut*, denunciation, disparagement, faultfinding, flak, hit*, knock*, nit-picking, objection, opprobrium, pan, panning, put down, quibble, rap on knuckles, reproof, roast, slam*, slap on wrist, slap, static, stricture, swipe, vitriol, zapper |
| Notes: | a criticism is an evaluation or judgment of something, while critique is a somewhat elevated term for the same thing; review is used as a synonym for these but may also imply a more comprehensive study |
| Antonyms: | approval, compliment, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | defamation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | libel, slander |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, black eye, calumny, character assassination, cheap shot, denigration, depreciation, detraction, dirt, dirty laundry, disparagement, dump*, dynamite, hit, knock, lie, low-down dirty, mud, obloquy, opprobrium, scorcher, slam*, slap in face, slime, slur, smear, tale, traducement, vilification |
| Antonyms: | approval, commendation, compliment, exaltation, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | detraction |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | misrepresentation; slander |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, calumny, damage, defamation, denigration, deprecation, derogation, disesteem, disparagement, harm, hit, hurt, injury, injustice, innuendo, insinuation, knock*, libel, libeling, lie, maligning, minimization, muckraking, obloquy, pejorative, revilement, ridicule, running down, scandal, scandalmongering, scurrility, slam, smear campaign, tale, traducement, traducing, vilification, vituperation, wrong |
| Antonyms: | admiration, adulation, flattery, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | disparagement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | strong criticism; detraction |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, blame, calumny, censure, condemnation, contempt, contumely, debasement, degradation, denunciation, depreciation, derision, derogation, discredit, disdain, impairment, lessening, lie, prejudice, reproach, ridicule, scandal, scorn, slander, tale, underestimation |
| Antonyms: | approval, commendation, compliment, flattery, praise, sanction |
| Main Entry: | innuendo |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | suggestion |
| Synonyms: | allusion, aside, aspersion, hint, implication, imputation, insinuation, intimation, overtone, reference, whisper |
| Antonyms: | evidence, proof |
| Main Entry: | insult |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | hateful communication |
| Synonyms: | abuse, affront, aspersion, black eye, blasphemy, cheap shot, contempt, contumely, derision, despite, discourtesy, disdainfulness, disgrace, disrespect, ignominy, impertinence, impudence, incivility, indignity, insolence, invective, libel, mockery, obloquy, offense, opprobrium, outrage, put-down, rudeness, scorn, scurrility, shame, slam, slander, slap, slap in the face, slight, snub, superciliousness, taunt, unpleasantry, vilification, vituperation |
| Antonyms: | compliment, flattery, praise |
| Main Entry: | libel |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | purposeful lie about someone, often malicious |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, calumny, defamation, denigration, lying, malicious, obloquy, smear, vituperation |
| Notes: | libel (from Latin libellus 'little book') must be published, while spoken defamatory remarks are slander; libel first meant 'document, written statement' slander is spoken defamation; libel is written or visual or broadcast defamation |
| Antonyms: | compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | lie |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | untruth |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, calumniation, calumny, deceit, deception, defamation, detraction, dishonesty, disinformation, distortion, evasion, fable, fabrication, falsehood, falseness, falsification, falsity, fib, fiction, forgery, fraudulence, guile, hyperbole, inaccuracy, invention, libel, mendacity, misrepresentation, misstatement, myth, obloquy, perjury, prevarication, revilement, reviling, slander, subterfuge, tale, tall story, vilification, white lie, whopper |
| Notes: | to lay is to place something; to lie is to recline |
| Antonyms: | honesty, truth |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
