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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | defame |
| Synonyms: | abuse, backstab, badmouth, calumniate, denigrate, gossip, lie, malign, scandalize, slander, spite, traduce, vilify |
| Antonyms: | praise |
| Main Entry: | backstab |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack indirectly |
| Synonyms: | backbite, betray, double-cross, play Judas, sell down the river, slander, smear |
| Main Entry: | censure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condemn; criticize severely |
| Synonyms: | abuse, admonish, animadvert, asperse, attack, backbite, berate, blame, carp at, castigate, cavil, chastise, chide, contemn, cut up, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, disapprove, discipline, disparage, exprobate, find fault with, get after, impugn, incriminate, judge, knock, lecture, look askance, ostracize, pick apart, pull apart, read out, rebuff, rebuke, remonstrate, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, scold, take to task, tear apart, tell off, upbraid |
| Notes: | to censor is to disallow portions or the entireties of books, plays, etc. on the grounds that they transgress propriety, 'to scrutinize, revise, or cut,' expurgate or suppress; to censure is to criticize vehemently or harshly, or condemn |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, compliment, endorse, laud, permit, sanction |
| Main Entry: | detract |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | take away a part; lessen |
| Synonyms: | backbite, belittle, blister, cheapen, cut rate, decrease, decry, depreciate, derogate, devaluate, diminish, discount, discredit, disesteem, draw away, knock*, laugh at, lower, minimize, misprize, reduce, subtract from, underrate, undervalue, vilipend, withdraw, write off |
| Antonyms: | add to, increase, optimize |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | malign |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | slander, defame |
| Synonyms: | abuse, accuse, asperse, backbite, bad-mouth, befoul, besmirch, bespatter, blacken, calumniate, cast aspersion, curse, decry, defile, denigrate, depreciate, derogate, detract, dirty*, disparage, harm, injure, insult, misrepresent, mudsling, opprobriate, pollute, rap, revile, roast, run down, scandalize, slur, smear, soil, spatter, speak ill of, stain, sully, taint, take a swipe at, tarnish, tear down, traduce, vilify, villainize, vituperate |
| Antonyms: | praise, uphold |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | mistreat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | treat badly or wrongly |
| Synonyms: | abuse, backbite, bash, brutalize, bung up, chop, do wrong, dump on, give black eye, handle roughly, harm, injure, kick around, knock around, maltreat, maul, mess up, misuse, molest, outrage, push around, rip, rough up, roughhouse, shake up, total*, trash*, wax, wound, wrong |
| Antonyms: | coddle, favor, pamper, pet, please, satisfy, treat well |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | slander |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make a scandalous remark |
| Synonyms: | asperse, assail, attack, backbite, bad-mouth, belie, belittle, besmirch, blacken name, blaspheme, blister, blot, calumniate, cast a slur on, curse, damage, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, depreciate, derogate, detract, dishonor, disparage, give a bad name, hit*, hurt, injure, libel, malign, muckrake, pan, plaster, revile, roast, run smear campaign, scandalize, scorch, slam*, sling mud, slur, smear, smirch, sneer, strumpet, sully, tarnish, tear down, traduce, vilify |
| 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: | flatter, glorify, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | scandalize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | calumniate |
| Synonyms: | asperse, backbite, bad-mouth, belie, belittle, blackball, blackguard, condemn, decry, defame, denigrate, deprecate, detract, disgrace, disgust, dishonor, disparage, embarrass, lampoon, libel, malign, offend, outrage, revile, shock, slander, traduce, vilify |
| Antonyms: | commend, compliment, flatter, honor, laud, praise |
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.
