Defame
/dɪˈfeɪm/noun
To damage someone's reputation by making false or harmful statements.
Did you know?Its Latin roots are tied to the same fame-word family as 'fame' and 'infamous,' so the word itself carries the idea of publicly unmaking a person’s honor.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
diffamāre
“to spread abroad, make notorious; to speak ill of”
Old French
Old French
diffamer
“to defame, slander”
Middle English
English
defamen
“to slander, disgrace publicly”
Modern English
English
defame
“to damage a person's reputation by false or harmful speech”