to drag through the mud
7
7.9
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
difamar
- He was unfairly dragged through the mud during the election campaign.
- dragged name through the mud
- dragged reputation through the mud
- get dragged through the mud
My friends and family are being harassed and attacked and discredited and dragged through the mud.
- My friends and family are being harassed and attacked and discredited and dragged through the mud.
- So that was about two weeks when I started really deciding that, you know, I'm dragging my family through the mud.
- You know, I, I am so close with people that I was dragged through the mud with, you know, as lowly assistance at an agency.
Examples
-
She's been dragged through the mud.
-
I'm not gonna let you drag this department through the mud.
-
It's my name being dragged through the mud!
-
Honey, you dragged him through the mud.
-
Joe will be dragged through the mud.
-
You dragged my name through the mud twice.
-
You dragged my name through the mud.
-
My friend's name just got dragged through the mud up there, and for what?
-
My funding has been slashed, and my name has been dragged through the mud in every newspaper and magazine across this country.
-
Emma Watson's name was dragged through the mud.
Synonyms
144
5.1
To say cruel things to make people think less of someone
55
6.1
To make false or unfair statements to hurt someone's reputation
48
7.8
To say bad things about someone without a good reason to make them seem less important
43
7.9
To say or write bad things about someone to harm them
33
7.7
To say harmful or false things about someone to hurt them
31
6.3
To say false things that damage someone's reputation
18
6.8
To say false things about someone that harm their good name
15
7.6
To speak badly about someone behind their backs
7
9.3
To criticize someone publicly to make them feel ashamed
5
8.2
To make a false written statement that harms someone's reputation
3
9.5
Say bad things about someone in public to show others what they did
1
8.0
To criticize someone or something very strongly in public
1
8.4
Say or do things that make someone seem less respected
1
9.8
To say false or very bad things about someone to harm their reputation
1
9.9
To say false things about someone to harm their reputation
1
7.2
Say bad things about someone to harm their reputation
1
6.7
To criticize someone or something strongly in public
Attack someone with strong words in public
To say bad things about someone in public to make them feel ashamed
To attack or criticize someone who is already in trouble
To attack someone with angry words
Antonyms
How Damaging
- Specialized
31
6.3
- Informal
7
7.9
3
6.0
548
3.2
701
3.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'drag' (to pull) combined with 'mud' (something that soils or dirties) yields a clear metaphor of making someone appear dirty or disgraceful, so the meaning 'harm someone's reputation' is inferable from the parts. This is a metaphorical extension rather than fully literal, but the mapping is common across languages and likely accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Drag through the mud comes from the image of someone being dragged through wet mud, so they come out dirty and ruined. So, 'to drag someone through the mud' means 'to publicly criticize someone and harm their reputation'.