calumny

Meaning

Noun

1. A false accusation or charge brought to tarnish another's reputation or standing.
2. Falsifications or misrepresentations intended to disparage or discredit another.

Verb

To make false accusations or levy false charges against a person with the intent to tarnish that person's reputation or standing; to calumniate.

Synonyms

slander

defamation

aspersion

libel

calumniation

denigration

traducement

detraction

scandal

abuse

backbiting

hatchet job

vilification

reproach

obloquy

tale-bearing

false accusation

blame

censure

vituperation

insult

slur

false charge

smear

ill-report

smear word

back-biting

accusation

calumniousness

affront

backbite

billingsgate

brickbat

bruit

charge

contumely

derogatory

disparagement

gossip

imputation

malicious misrepresentation

misrepresentation

opprobrium

revilement

reviling

rumor

slandering

slanderous report

spatter

stigma

roorback

talebearing

Hyphenated as

ca‧lum‧ny

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkæləmni/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: calumnīe

Cognate with French: calomnie

In summary

From Late Middle English calumnīe (“false accusation, slander; (law) objection raised in bad faith”), borrowed from Old French calomnie (“slander, calumny”) (modern French calomnie), or directly from its etymon Latin calumnia (“false statement, misrepresentation; false accusation, malicious charge”), perhaps related to calvor (“to deceive”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelh₁- or *ḱh₂l-. The English word is a doublet of challenge.
The verb is derived from French calomnier (“to slander”), from Late Latin calumniāre, from Latin calumpniārī, calumniārī, present active infinitive of calumnior (“to blame unjustly, misrepresent, calumniate; (law) to accuse falsely, bring false information against”), from calumnia (see above) + -or.