Slander

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: slan=der

CIDE DICTIONARY

Slander, n. [OE. sclandere, OF. esclandre, esclandle, escandre, F. esclandre, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. a snare, stumbling block, offense, scandal; probably originally, the spring of a trap, and akin to Skr. skand to spring, leap. See Scan, and cf. Scandal.].

•  A false tale or report maliciously uttered, tending to injure the reputation of another; the malicious utterance of defamatory reports; the dissemination of malicious tales or suggestions to the injury of another.  [1913 Webster]

  "Whether we speak evil of a man to his face or behind his back; the former way, indeed, seems to be the most generous, but yet is a great fault, and that which we call “reviling;” the latter is more mean and base, and that which we properly call “slander”, or “Backbiting.”"  [1913 Webster]

  "[We] make the careful magistrate
  The mark of slander."  [1913 Webster]
•  Disgrace; reproach; dishonor; opprobrium.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou slander of thy mother's heavy womb."  [1913 Webster]
•  Formerly, defamation generally, whether oral or written; in modern usage, defamation by words spoken; utterance of false, malicious, and defamatory words, tending to the damage and derogation of another; calumny. See the Note under Defamation.  Burril.  [1913 Webster]

Slander, v. t. 

•  To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.  [1913 Webster]

  "O, do not slander him, for he is kind."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.  [1913 Webster]

  "Tax not so bad a voice
  To slander music any more than once."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To asperse; defame; calumniate; vilify; malign; belie; scandalize; reproach. See Asperse.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Slander, n. & v.
--n.
1 a malicious, false, and injurious statement spoken about a person.
2 the uttering of such statements; calumny.
3 Law false oral defamation (cf. LIBEL).
--v.tr. utter slander about; defame falsely.

Derivative

slanderer n. slanderous adj. slanderously adv.

Etymology

ME sclaundre f. AF esclaundre, OF esclandre alt. f. escandle f. LL scandalum: see SCANDAL

THESAURUS

Slander

asperse, assail, attack, backbite, backbiting, backstabbing, barefaced lie, belie, belittlement, bitchiness, blackwash, calumniate, calumniation, calumny, cattiness, character assassination, consummate lie, damage, decry, defamation, defamation of character, defame, denigrate, depreciation, dirt, disparage, disparagement, gossip column, hurt, injure, juicy morsel, libel, malicious gossip, malign, misrepresentation, monstrous lie, muckrake, muckraking, obloquy, out-and-out lie, roorback, scandal, scandalmongering, slur, smear, strumpet, tale, tear down, the big lie, tidbit, traduce, traducement, vilification, vilify, whispering campaign, whopper

ROGET THESAURUS

Slander

Detraction

N detraction, disparagement, depreciation, vilification, obloquy, scurrility, scandal, defamation, aspersion, traducement, slander, calumny, obtrectation, evil-speaking, backbiting, scandalum magnatum, personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade, chronique scandaleuse, roorback, sarcasm, cynicism, criticism (disapprobation), invective, envenomed tongue, spretae injuria formae, personality, libel, lampoon, skit, pasquinade, chronique scandaleuse, roorback, detractor, detracting, defamatory, detractory, derogatory, deprecatory, catty, disparaging, libelous, scurrile, scurrilous, abusive, foul- spoken, foul-tongued, foul-mouthed, slanderous, calumnious, calumniatory, sarcastic, sardonic, sarcastic, satirical, cynical, critical, damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and without sneering, teach the rest to sneer, another lie nailed to the counter, cut men's throats with whisperings, foul whisperings are abroad, soft-buzzing slander, virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes.

VB detract, derogate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, disparage, run down, cry down, backcap, belittle, sneer at, criticize, pull to pieces, pick a hole in one's coat, asperse, cast aspersions, blow upon, bespatter, blacken, vilify, vilipend, avile, give a dog a bad name, brand, malign, muckrake, backbite, libel, lampoon, traduce, slander, defame, calumniate, bear false witness against, speak ill of behind one's back, fling dirt, anathematize, dip the pen in gall, view in a bad light, impugn (disparage the motives of), assail, attack, oppose, denounce, accuse.