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| Main Entry: | |
| 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: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal attack |
| Synonyms: | bad-mouthing, blame, castigation, censure, curse, curses, defamation, derision, hosing, insults, invective, kicking around, knifing, libel, obloquy, opprobrium, pushing around, put-down, quinine, reproach, revilement, scolding, signifying, slander, swearing, tirade, upbraiding, vilification, vituperation |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
| Antonyms: | acclamation, adulation, approval, commendation, plaudit, praise |
| Main Entry: | accuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | place blame for wrongdoing, fault |
| Synonyms: | allege, apprehend, arraign, arrest, attack, attribute, betray, blame, blow the whistle, brand, bring charges, censure, charge, cite, complain, criminate, denounce, file claim, finger*, frame, hang something on, hold accountable, impeach, implicate, impute, incriminate, inculpate, indict, lay at door, let have it, libel, litigate, lodge complaint, name, pin on, point finger at, prosecute, recriminate, serve summons, slander, slur, sue, summon, tax |
| Antonyms: | absolve, exculpate, exonerate, praise, vindicate |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| 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 |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | attack |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | verbal assault |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aggression, belligerence, blame, calumny, censure, combativeness, criticism, denigration, denunciation, impugnment, libel, pugnacity, slander, vilification |
| Antonyms: | defense, reprisal, resistance, retreat, submission, surrender |
| Main Entry: | blacken |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | malign; smear |
| Synonyms: | asperse, attack, bad-mouth, blot, blotch, calumniate, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, dishonor, do a number on, give a black eye, knock*, libel, malign, rip up and down, rip*, slander, slur, smudge, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, traduce, vilify |
| Antonyms: | compliment, enhance, praise |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | caricature |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | exaggerated description in writing, drawing |
| Synonyms: | burlesque, cartoon, distortion, farce, imitation, lampoon, libel, mimicry, mockery, parody, pasquinade, pastiche, put-on, ridicule, satire, send-up, sham, takeoff, travesty |
| Main Entry: | denigrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | belittle, malign |
| Synonyms: | asperse, bad mouth, besmirch, blacken, blister, calumniate, decry, defame, dis, disparage, give black eye, impugn, knock*, libel, mudsling, put down*, revile, rip up, roast, run down, scandalize, slander, tear down, traduce, vilify |
| Antonyms: | boost, cherish, compliment, 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
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
