Meanings
nounslander (countable and uncountable, plural slanders)
plural slanders · alternative slandre
- countableuncountableA false or unsupported, malicious statement (spoken, not written), especially one which is injurious to a person's reputation; the making of such a statement.
Antonyms: glorification
- InternetcountableuncountableVehement (and often exaggerated) criticism of a character, franchise, etc.
verbslander (third-person singular simple present slanders, present participle slandering, simple past and past participle slandered)
present singular third person slanders · participle present slandering · participle past slandered · past slandered · alternative slandre
- transitiveTo utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.
1 more example
Tuc[ca]. […] Can thy Author doe it impudently enough? Hiſt[rio]. O, I warrant you, Captaine: and ſpitefully inough too; he ha's one of the moſt ouerflowing villanous wits, in Rome. He will ſlander any man that breathes; If he diſguſt him. Tucca. I'le know the poor, egregious, nitty Raſcall; and he haue ſuch commendable Qualities, I'le cheriſh him: […]
1601, Ben Jonson, Poetaster or The Arraignment: […], London: […] [R. Bradock] for M[atthew] L[ownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, Act III
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA false or unsupported, malicious statement (spoken, not written), especially one which is injurious to a person's reputation; the making of such a statement.
Opposite
verbTo utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.
Opposite
Broader
More synonyms by meaning
nounan abusive attack on a person's character or good name
Broader
verbcharge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekσκάνδαλον“scandal”
- Ecclesiastical Latinscandalum“stumbling block, temptation”
- Old Frenchesclandre
- Middle Englishslaundre
- Englishslander
From Middle English slaundre, sclaundre, from Old French esclandre, from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“stumbling block, temptation”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “scandal”). Doublet of scandal.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Ecclesiastical Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek διαβολή, βλασφημία
- διαβολή (diabolḗ)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- βλασφημία (blasphēmía)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- διαβάλλω (diabállō)utter a slanderous statement about
- ὄνομαι (ónomai)utter a slanderous statement about
Arabic تَشْهِير, اِفْتِرَاء
- تَشْهِير (tašhīr)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- اِفْتِرَاء (iftirāʔ)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- بُهْتَان (buhtān)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- سِعَايَة (siʕāya)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Bengali এলজাম, এলজাম দেওয়া
- এলজাম (eljam)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- এলজাম দেওয়া (elzam deẇa)utter a slanderous statement about
Bulgarian клевета́, ху́ла
- клевета́ (klevetá)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- ху́ла (húla)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- хула́ (hulá)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- клеветя (klevetja)utter a slanderous statement about
Catalan calúmnia, injúria
- calúmniafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- injúriafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- calumniarutter a slanderous statement about
- injuriarutter a slanderous statement about
Chinese Mandarin 毀謗 /毁谤, 誹謗 /诽谤
- 毀謗 /毁谤 (huǐbàng)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 誹謗 /诽谤 (fěibàng)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 謗 /谤 (bàng)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 誣蔑 /诬蔑 (wūmiè)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 讒言 /谗言 (chányán)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 中傷 /中伤 (zhòngshāng)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 毀謗 /毁谤 (huǐbàng)utter a slanderous statement about
- 誹謗 /诽谤 (fěibàng)utter a slanderous statement about
- 中傷 /中伤 (zhòngshāng)utter a slanderous statement about
- 詆毀 /诋毁 (dǐhuǐ)utter a slanderous statement about
Czech pomluva, kleveta
- pomluvafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- klevetafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- pomluvitutter a slanderous statement about
Danish bagvaskelse, bagtale
- bagvaskelsefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- bagtaleutter a slanderous statement about
Dutch laster, smaden
- lasterfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- smadenutter a slanderous statement about
- lasterenutter a slanderous statement about
Esperanto kalumnio, kalumnii
- kalumniofalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- kalumniiutter a slanderous statement about
Finnish suullinen kunnianloukkaus, suullisesti loukata jonkun kunniaa
- suullinen kunnianloukkausfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- suullisesti loukata jonkun kunniaautter a slanderous statement about
- panetellautter a slanderous statement about
French diffamation (orale), calomnie (orale)
- diffamation (orale)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- calomnie (orale)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- calomnier verbalementutter a slanderous statement about
German Verleumdung, Lästerung
- Verleumdungfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- Lästerungfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- Diffamierungfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- mündlich verleumdenutter a slanderous statement about
- mündlich verunglimpfenutter a slanderous statement about
- verleumdenutter a slanderous statement about
- diffamierenutter a slanderous statement about
- schmähenutter a slanderous statement about
Greek συκοφαντία, διαβολή
- συκοφαντία (sykofantía)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- διαβολή (diavolí)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- συκοφαντώ (sykofantó)utter a slanderous statement about
- διαβάλλω (diavállo)utter a slanderous statement about
- διασύρω (diasýro)utter a slanderous statement about
Hindi मानहानि, लांछन
- मानहानि (mānhāni)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- लांछन (lāñchan)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- लांछन लगाना (lāñchan lagānā)utter a slanderous statement about
Hungarian rágalom, rágalmazás
- rágalomfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- rágalmazásfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- rágalmazutter a slanderous statement about
Icelandic rógur, rógburður
- rógurfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- rógburðurfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Irish míchlú
- míchlúfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Italian calunnia, diffamazione
- calunniafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- diffamazionefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- maldicenzafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- chiacchierafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- diceriafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- diffamareutter a slanderous statement about
- infangareutter a slanderous statement about
- infamareutter a slanderous statement about
- denigrareutter a slanderous statement about
- calunniareutter a slanderous statement about
Japanese 中傷, 誹謗
- 中傷 (chūshō)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 誹謗 (hibō)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 讒言 (zangen)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 中傷する (chūshō suru)utter a slanderous statement about
- 讒言する (zangen suru)utter a slanderous statement about
Korean 악담, 중상
- 악담 (akdam)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 중상 (jungsang)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 훼방 (hwebang)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 비방 (bibang)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 손가락질 (son'garakjil)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- 갈붙이다 (galbuchida)utter a slanderous statement about
- 훼방하다 (hwebanghada)utter a slanderous statement about
- 중상하다 (jungsanghada)utter a slanderous statement about
- 자훼하다 (jahwehada)utter a slanderous statement about
- 손가락질하다 (son'garakjilhada)utter a slanderous statement about
Latin calumnia, blasphēmia
- calumniafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- blasphēmiafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Latvian apmelošana
- apmelošanafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Lithuanian apkalba, pljotkai
- apkalbafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- pljotkaifalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- šmeižtiutter a slanderous statement about
Malay fitnah
- fitnahfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Māori komekome, whakakinokino
- komekomefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- whakakinokinofalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- tarawaufalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- tūtarautter a slanderous statement about
- tarawauutter a slanderous statement about
- mureutter a slanderous statement about
Norwegian Bokmål bakvaskelse
- bakvaskelsefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Persian تُهمَت, اِفتِرا
- تُهمَت (tohmat)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- اِفتِرا (efterâ)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- بُهتان (bohtân)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- سِعایَت (se'âyat)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Polish oszczerstwo, pomówienie
- oszczerstwofalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- pomówieniefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- zniesławieniefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- szkalowaćutter a slanderous statement about
Portuguese calúnia, injúria
- calúniafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- injúriafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- aleivefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- aleivosiafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- caluniarutter a slanderous statement about
- injuriarutter a slanderous statement about
- difamarutter a slanderous statement about
Romanian defăimare, calomnie
- defăimarefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- calomniefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- defăimautter a slanderous statement about
Russian клевета́, злосло́вие
- клевета́ (klevetá)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- злосло́вие (zloslóvije)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- наве́т (navét)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- нагово́р (nagovór)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- хула́ (xulá)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- поноше́ние (ponošénije)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- поро́чение (poróčenije)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- ха́янье (xájanʹje)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- поклёп (pokljóp)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- напра́слина (napráslina)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- клевета́ть (klevetátʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
- злосло́вить (zloslóvitʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
- поро́чить (poróčitʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
- ха́ять (xájatʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
- хули́ть (xulítʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
- нагова́ривать (nagovárivatʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
- очерня́ть (očernjátʹ)utter a slanderous statement about
Scottish Gaelic càin
- càinutter a slanderous statement about
Slovak ohováranie, hanobenie
- ohováraniefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- hanobeniefalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- klebetafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Spanish calumniar, dejar negro
- calumniarutter a slanderous statement about
- dejar negroutter a slanderous statement about
- pelarutter a slanderous statement about
Swahili kashfa
- kashfafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Swedish förtal, baktala
- förtalfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- baktalautter a slanderous statement about
- förtalautter a slanderous statement about
Tagalog paninirang-puri
- paninirang-purifalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Thai ใส่ร้าย, นินทา
- ใส่ร้าย (sài-ráai)utter a slanderous statement about
- นินทา (nin-taa)utter a slanderous statement about
Turkish sözel iftira, sözle iftira
- sözel iftirafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- sözle iftirafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- şifahi iftirafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- iftirafalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Ukrainian на́клеп, по́клеп
- на́клеп (náklep)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- по́клеп (póklep)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- обмо́ва (obmóva)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- лихослі́в'я (lyxoslívʺja)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Urdu بُہْتان, اِہانَت
- بُہْتان (bohtān)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- اِہانَت (ihānat)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- سِعایَت (si'āyat)false or unsupported spoken malicious statement
Welsh athrod, athrodi
- athrodfalse or unsupported spoken malicious statement
- athrodiutter a slanderous statement about
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with slander
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
slander. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slander
MLA
“slander.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slander. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “slander,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/slander.
Source: slander on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.