| Main Entry: | |
| 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 |
| Main Entry: | aspersion |
| 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 |
| Main Entry: | backbiting |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | hateful talk |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aspersion, backstabbing, belittlement, calumniation, calumny, cattiness, defamation, denigration, depreciation, detraction, disparagement, gossip, invective, lie, malice, obloquy, scandal, slander, spite, spitefulness, tale, traducement, vilification, vituperation |
| Antonyms: | encouragement, praise |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Main Entry: | scandal |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | public embarrassment |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, calumny, crime, defamation, depreciation, detraction, dirty linen, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparagement, disrepute, dynamite, eavesdropping, gossip, hearsay, idle rumor, ignominy, infamy, mud, obloquy, opprobrium, reproach, rumor, scorcher, shame, sin, skeleton in closet, slander, tale, talk, turpitude, wrongdoing |
| Main Entry: | slander |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | scandalous remark |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, backbiting, backstabbing, belittlement, black eye, calumny, defamation, depreciation, detraction, dirt*, dirty linen, disparagement, hit*, libel, lie, misrepresentation, muckraking, mud, mud-slinging, obloquy, rap, scandal, slam*, slime, smear, tale |
| 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: | glorification, nicety, praise |
| Main Entry: | tale |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | made-up story |
| Synonyms: | canard, chestnut, clothesline, cock-and-bull story, defamation, detraction, exaggeration, fabrication, falsehood, falsity, fib, fiction, lie, misrepresentation, prevarication, rigmarole, rumor, scandal, slander, spiel*, tall story, untruism, untruth, yarn |
| Antonyms: | non-fiction |
| Main Entry: | belittlement |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | act of belittling |
| Synonyms: | aspersion, denigration, deprecation, derogation, detraction, disparagement, put-down, ridicule, scorn |