Meaning & use
defaming
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“defaming” is a form of “defame”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive
The act of harming someone's reputation by saying or writing false things about them.
Grammar: Takes an object: defaming someone. Often used in legal contexts.
Patterns
- defaming someone
- defaming someone's character
- accused of defaming someone
She was accused of defaming her former colleague in a series of online posts.
The article was criticized for defaming the entire organization without evidence.
He sued the newspaper for defaming him in a front-page story.
Word forms
| third person singular | defames |
|---|---|
| past tense | defamed |
| past participle | defamed |
| -ing form | defaming |
Common combinations
- accused of defaming
- The politician was accused of defaming his opponent during the debate.
- defaming someone's character
- Spreading rumors is a way of defaming someone's character.
- sued for defaming
- The company was sued for defaming a rival business.
- publicly defaming
- He was publicly defaming the charity, which upset many donors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- slandering
- Slandering refers specifically to spoken false statements, while defaming can be spoken or written.
- libeling
- Libeling is the written form of defamation; defaming is a broader term that covers both spoken and written.
- smearing
- Smearing is more informal and often implies a deliberate attempt to damage reputation, while defaming is more legal.
Opposites
Word family
- defamation noun
- The act of defaming; the noun form.
- defamatory adjective
- Describing something that defames, like a defamatory statement.
- defamer noun
- A person who defames others.
Commonly confused: defaming or defaming vs. defacing?
defaming vs defaming vs. defacing
Defacing means damaging the surface of something, like writing on a wall. Defaming is about harming reputation.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'defaming' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Defaming means harming someone's reputation with false statements, so it fits the context of a newspaper article about a rival. The other options confuse it with 'defacing' (damaging surfaces) or use it incorrectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “defaming”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.