Meanings
present singular third person defames · participle present defaming · participle past defamed · past defamed
- To disgrace; to bring into disrepute.First known use 4th c.
My guilt thy growing virtues did defame; / My blackness blotted thy unblemish'd name.
1697, Virgil, “The Tenth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLCSynonyms: discredit, dishonour, humiliate, abase, bring down to size, cut down to size, debase, degrade
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo disgrace; to bring into disrepute.
verbTo charge; to accuse (someone) of an offence.
adjectiveSynonym of defamed.
More synonyms by meaning
verbcharge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindiffāmō
- Anglo-Normandefamer
- Middle Englishdefamen
- Englishdefame
From Middle English defamen, from Anglo-Norman defamer (verb), defame (noun), and its source, Latin diffāmō, from fāma (“fame; rumour; reputation”).
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κακολογέω, βλασφημέω
- κακολογέω (kakologéō)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- βλασφημέω (blasphēméō)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
Bulgarian клеветя, позоря
- клеветя (klevetja)to disgrace, bring into disrepute
- позоря (pozorja)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- хуля (hulja)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
Catalan difamar, difamar
- difamarto disgrace, bring into disrepute
- difamarto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Czech pomluvit
- pomluvitto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Finnish herjata, panetella
- herjatato disgrace, bring into disrepute
- panetellato harm, to diminish the reputation of
French diffamer
- diffamerto harm, to diminish the reputation of
German diffamieren, diffamieren
- diffamierento disgrace, bring into disrepute
- diffamierento harm, to diminish the reputation of
Greek συκοφαντώ, λιβελλογραφώ
- συκοφαντώ (sykofantó)to disgrace, bring into disrepute
- λιβελλογραφώ (livellografó)to disgrace, bring into disrepute
- κακολογώ (kakologó)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- συκοφαντώ (sykofantó)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- δυσφημίζω (dysfimízo)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
Hebrew השמיץ
- השמיץ (hishmítz)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
Irish aithisigh
- aithisighto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Latin diffāmō
- diffāmōto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Māori whakakino ingoa, tūtara
- whakakino ingoato disgrace, bring into disrepute
- tūtarato harm, to diminish the reputation of
- oroto harm, to diminish the reputation of
- whakakino ingoato harm, to diminish the reputation of
- taiaroato harm, to diminish the reputation of
Portuguese difamar, difamar
- difamarto disgrace, bring into disrepute
- difamarto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Romanian defăima, defăima
- defăimato disgrace, bring into disrepute
- defăimato harm, to diminish the reputation of
Russian клевета́ть, поро́чить
- клевета́ть (klevetátʹ)to disgrace, bring into disrepute
- поро́чить (poróčitʹ)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- позо́рить (pozóritʹ)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- хули́ть (xulítʹ)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
- поноси́ть (ponosítʹ)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
Scottish Gaelic cuir sìos air cliù, mì-chliùthaich
- cuir sìos air cliùto harm, to diminish the reputation of
- mì-chliùthaichto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Spanish difamar, difamar
- difamarto disgrace, bring into disrepute
- difamarto harm, to diminish the reputation of
- arruinar la reputaciónto harm, to diminish the reputation of
- disfamarto harm, to diminish the reputation of
- dejemplarto harm, to diminish the reputation of
Swedish ärekränka, förtala
- ärekränkato harm, to diminish the reputation of
- förtalato harm, to diminish the reputation of
- baktalato harm, to diminish the reputation of
- smutskastato harm, to diminish the reputation of
- diskrediterato harm, to diminish the reputation of
Thai หมิ่นประมาท
- หมิ่นประมาท (mìn-bprà-màat)to harm, to diminish the reputation of
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with defame
Cite this entry
defame. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defame
“defame.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defame. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defame,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defame.
Source: defame on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.