slander
- 01 C1 Advanced
a false spoken statement that is intended to damage someone's reputation.
the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation. It is distinct from libel, which refers to written defamation.
Simple“The politician claimed that the accusations were nothing but lies and slander.”
In context“The plaintiff alleged that the defendant's oral remarks during the broadcast constituted actionable slander that resulted in significant financial loss.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun in legal contexts, but can be countable when referring to specific statements.
PitfallThe newspaper was sued for slander. The newspaper was sued for libel.Use 'slander' for spoken words and 'libel' for written or published words.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
strong or funny criticism of a person, movie, or team, often used online.
vehement, often hyperbolic or humorous criticism directed at a specific character, franchise, or public figure, particularly in digital spaces.
Simple“I won't tolerate any slander against my favorite movie.”
In context“The social media thread was filled with harmless slander about the team's recent performance, though most fans were just joking.”
Teacher's tipIn modern internet slang, this word is used much more lightly than its legal definition and often implies a playful bias.
From Middle English slaundre, sclaundre, from Old French esclandre, from Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum (“stumbling block, temptation”), from Ancient Greek σκάνδαλον (skándalon, “scandal”). Doublet of scandal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.