slur
n. countablen. an insulting or unfair remark about someone's character. It is often used to describe words that attack a person's race, religion, or background.
n. an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo; a statement intended to damage a reputation. In modern usage, it frequently refers to derogatory epithets directed at specific social or ethnic groups.
The politician was criticized for using a racial slur.
The journalist faced a lawsuit after publishing what the actor claimed was a malicious slur against his professional integrity.
From Middle English sloor (“thin or fluid mud”). Cognate with Middle Low German sluren (“to trail in mud”). Also related to dialectal Norwegian sløra (“to be careless, to scamp, dawdle”), Danish sløre (“to wobble, be loose”) (especially for wheels); compare Old Norse slóðra (“to drag oneself along”). * (an extremely offensive term): Influenced by various compounds of sense 1 such as racial slur, ethnic slur, etc.
Often takes the preposition 'against' or 'on' when identifying the target of the insult.