Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of defame

110 similar words · 3 opposite words

Another word for defame is humble. Other synonyms of defame are wrong, disgrace, reduce, fault and dirty. The opposite of defame is praise.

Synonyms and similar words for defame

verbTo disgrace; to bring into disrepute.

  • discreditTo harm the good reputation of (a person).
  • dishonour
  • humiliateTo make humble; to lower in condition or status.
  • abaseTo lower, as in condition in life, office, rank, etc., so as to cause pain or hurt feelings; to degrade, to depress, to...
  • bring down to sizeSynonym of cut down to size.
  • cut down to size
  • degradeTo lower in value or social position.
  • demean
  • demoteTo lower the rank or status of.
  • depressTo bring down or humble; to abase (pride, etc.).
  • disgraceTo put someone or something out of favor; to bring shame or ignominy upon.
  • disparageTo dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak...
  • downgradeTo disparage.
  • give a bad nameTo cause people to lose respect, reverence or esteem for something or someone.
  • humbleTo defeat or reduce the power, independence, or pride of.
  • knock down to sizeSynonym of cut down to size.
  • put someone in their placeTo bring somebody down; to humble or rebuke.
  • reduceTo bring to an inferior rank; to degrade, to demote.
  • relegateConsign (a person or thing) to a place, position, or role of obscurity, insignificance, oblivion, lower rank or...
  • sink figurativelyTo cause to decline; to depress or degrade.
  • slurTo soil; to sully; to contaminate; to disgrace.
  • trim down to sizeSynonym of cut down to size.
  • whittle down to sizeSynonym of cut down to size.
  • debase archaicTo lower in position or rank.
  • embase archaicTo bring down or lower in position, status, etc.; to degrade, humiliate.

verbTo charge; to accuse (someone) of an offence.

verbTo harm or diminish the reputation of; to disparage.

  • besmirchTo tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.
  • libelTo defame (someone), especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
  • slanderTo utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.

adjectiveSynonym of defamed.

  • defamedShown rampant without its tail.

verbMore synonyms

  • assassinate figurativelyTo harm, ruin, or defame severely or destroy by treachery, slander, libel, or obscure attack.
  • asperseTo falsely or maliciously charge someone.
  • backbiteTo make spiteful slanderous or defamatory statements about someone.
  • badmouthTo criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.
  • befoul figurativelyTo stain or mar (e.g., with infamy or disgrace).
  • besmearTo damage the reputation of, to tarnish, to sully.
  • blackenTo defame or sully.
  • blazeTo disclose; bewray; defame.
  • blemishTo tarnish (reputation, character, etc.); to defame.
  • blotTo stain with infamy; to disgrace.
  • blurTo sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.
  • calumniateTo levy a false charge against, especially of a vague offense, with the intent to damage someone's reputation or...
  • calumnyTo make false accusations or levy false charges against a person with the intent to tarnish that person's reputation or...
  • chat shit slang, vulgarTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • chat shite Ireland, UK
  • cloudTo blacken; to sully; to stain; to tarnish (reputation or character).
  • demonize figurativelyTo describe or represent as evil or diabolic, usually falsely.
  • denigrateTo criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
  • depraveTo speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile.
  • depreciateTo belittle or disparage.
  • detractTo take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.
  • dirtyTo stain or tarnish (somebody) with dishonor.
  • disreputeTo bring into disrepute; to hold in dishonor.
  • diss slangTo put (someone) down, or show disrespect by the use of insulting language or dismissive behaviour.
  • drag through the mudTo tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.
  • foulTo besmirch.
  • infamizeTo make infamous; to defame or smear.
  • lampoonTo satirize or poke fun at.
  • malignTo make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
  • monsterizeTo give someone a very bad reputation; demonize, vilify.
  • muddy figurativelyTo damage (a person or their reputation); to sully, to tarnish.
  • reproachTo disgrace, or bring shame upon.
  • revileTo attack (someone) with abusive language.
  • shit-talk slang, vulgar
  • slag UK, slangTo talk badly about; to malign or denigrate (someone).
  • smearTo damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their...
  • spotTo stain; to blemish; to taint; to disgrace; to tarnish, as reputation.
  • speak ill ofTo vilify; to defame; to criticize.
  • stab figurativelyTo injure secretly or by malicious falsehood or slander.
  • stainTo taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation.
  • sullyTo corrupt or damage.
  • talk shit slang, vulgarTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • talk shite UK, slangTo talk badly about something.
  • talk trash US, slangTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • tarnishTo compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
  • torch figurativelyTo make damaging claims about (someone or something); to ruin the reputation of (someone or something); to disparage...
  • traduceTo malign a person or entity by making malicious and false or defamatory statements.
  • trash-talk US, slangTo insult a rival in a disparaging way.
  • unflatterTo show or display in a bad light; to portray unfavorably.
  • vilifyTo say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.
  • villainizeTo represent as a villain.
  • wrongTo slander; to impute evil to unjustly.
  • belibel datedTo libel, slander, calumniate.
  • bewray archaicTo accuse; malign; speak evil of.
  • forgab obsoleteTo mock; deride; defame; publish the misdeeds of.
  • forspeak obsoleteTo say bad things about; to slander.
  • scandal obsoleteTo defame; to slander.
  • smirch archaic, figurativelyTo harm the reputation of; to smear or slander.
  • spatter figuratively, obsoleteTo injure by aspersion; to defame.
  • vilipend dated, formalTo express a disparaging opinion of; to slander or vilify.

Opposite of defame

verbMore antonyms

  • flatter
  • praiseTo give praise to; to commend, glorify, or worship.
  • stand up forTo speak or act in support or defense of (a person, a cause, a belief, or the like).

Meaning of defame

  1. verb To disgrace; to bring into disrepute.
  2. verb To charge; to accuse (someone) of an offence.
  3. verb To harm or diminish the reputation of; to disparage.

Full definition of defame

defame in other languages

Questions about synonyms of defame

What is another word for defame?
Defame has 110 synonyms on Word.ws, such as humble, wrong, disgrace, reduce, fault, dirty, discredit and degrade.
What is the opposite of defame?
The opposite of defame is praise.
What does defame mean?
Defame means to disgrace; to bring into disrepute.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: defame (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of defame.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/defame. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.