Meanings
comparative more defamatory · superlative most defamatory
- Damaging to someone's reputation, especially if untrue.
defamatory statement
3 more examples
defamatory allegation
sue for defamatory comments
The journalist sued for defamatory remarks.
Synonyms: slanderous, scandalous, scurrilous, libelous, calumnious, injurious
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveDamaging to someone's reputation, especially if untrue.
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latindiffāmātōrius
- Middle Frenchdiffamatoire
- Englishdefamatory
From Middle French diffamatoire (altered after the prefix de-), from Medieval Latin diffāmātōrius.
More words from Middle French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian клеветни́чески, злословен
- клеветни́чески (klevetníčeski)damaging to someone’s reputation
- злословен (zlosloven)damaging to someone’s reputation
Catalan difamatori, difamador
- difamatoridamaging to someone’s reputation
- difamadordamaging to someone’s reputation
- difamantdamaging to someone’s reputation
French diffamatoire, diffamant
- diffamatoiredamaging to someone’s reputation
- diffamantdamaging to someone’s reputation
German verleumderisch
- verleumderischdamaging to someone’s reputation
Greek δυσφημιστικός, συκοφαντικός
- δυσφημιστικός (dysfimistikós)damaging to someone’s reputation
- συκοφαντικός (sykofantikós)damaging to someone’s reputation
Icelandic ærumeiðandi
- ærumeiðandidamaging to someone’s reputation
Irish aithiseach
- aithiseachdamaging to someone’s reputation
Polish oszczerczy, szkalujący
- oszczerczydamaging to someone’s reputation
- szkalującydamaging to someone’s reputation
Portuguese difamatório, difamador
- difamatóriodamaging to someone’s reputation
- difamadordamaging to someone’s reputation
Russian бесче́стящий, дискредити́рующий
- бесче́стящий (besčéstjaščij)damaging to someone’s reputation
- дискредити́рующий (diskreditírujuščij)damaging to someone’s reputation
- клеветни́ческий (klevetníčeskij)damaging to someone’s reputation
- поро́чащий (poróčaščij)damaging to someone’s reputation
Spanish difamatorio, difamador
- difamatoriodamaging to someone’s reputation
- difamadordamaging to someone’s reputation
Ukrainian який ганьбить, наклепницький
- який ганьбить (jakyj hanʹbytʹ)damaging to someone’s reputation
- наклепницький (naklepnycʹkyj)damaging to someone’s reputation
Cite this entry
defamatory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defamatory
“defamatory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defamatory. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defamatory,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defamatory.
Source: defamatory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.