hatchet job
5
8.4
- noun
- /ˈhæʧɪt dʒɑb/
- Literature
:
ataque difamatorio
- The article was clearly a hatchet job designed to ruin her reputation.
- political hatchet job
And a month after the Mail on Sunday, within a few weeks of the Mail on Sunday, doing a hatchet job on me.
- And a month after the Mail on Sunday, within a few weeks of the Mail on Sunday, doing a hatchet job on me.
Examples
-
But we love a hatchet job.
Blog text (2) -
That was a hatchet job.
-
The hatchet job that the current UK government has performed on the NHS is a case in point.
Blog text (14) -
It's a hatchet job!
-
You don't recall the hatchet job done on John McCain in 2000 by his fellow Republicans?
Blog text (8) -
I agree with Patrick Irish that "the article by Mr. Shafer is a very selective hatchet job on one of the leading minds of the 20th century."
Blog text (28) -
Many believe the film review was merely a hatchet job attacking the director's credibility.
-
After reading the unjust criticism, I realized it was an unfair hatchet job on his character.
Synonyms
55
7.4
False or damaging words meant to hurt someone's reputation
49
5.7
A false or unfair statement meant to hurt someone's reputation
40
7.1
To harm someone's reputation by saying untrue things about them in public
16
5.5
An organized effort to hurt someone's reputation by making false or unfair accusations
15
7.3
Hurts someone's reputation on purpose by spreading false or harmful stories
4
9.3
A false statement that damages someone's reputation
1
9.9
A public attack in words that shames a person and harms their reputation
Telling lies about someone to harm what people think of them
A false statement that harms someone's reputation
Full of unfair personal attacks meant to damage someone's reputation
An attempt to damage someone's reputation by making false claims
Antonyms
How Harsh
- Literature
15
7.3
- Literature
5
8.4
55
6.1
548
3.2
512
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
hatchet + job
The constituents 'hatchet' (a small axe) and 'job' (an action) create a clear metaphorical image of an attack or damaging action, so learners who know the words can infer a sense of harm or assault. However, the conventionalized, specific meaning — a malicious or unfair piece of criticism — is an idiomatic extension not fully predictable from the parts, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Hatchet job comes from the image of a hatchet, a small axe, used to do a quick, rough job of cutting or destroying something. That sharp picture explains why it now means 'a cruel or unfair attack' on someone's good name.