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maligner

maligner

9.9
A person who says false things to damage someone's reputation
  • noun
  • /məˈlɪɡnər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : difamador
  • The maligner constantly criticized her opponent, trying to ruin his reputation before the election.

Examples

  • This negative viewpoint was widely held even by scientific maligners of women's character throughout Europe.

    Academic text (1992)
  • He was labeled a maligner after spreading false rumors about his colleague's integrity.

  • As a maligner, she used social media to attack the character of those she disagreed with.

Synonyms

detractor
vsmaligner
33 7.1

A person who says bad things about someone or something to make them seem less good

is more malicious and aims to damage reputation often using lies
slanderer
vsmaligner
1 7.3

A person who says false things about someone to harm them

covers malicious reputation attack more broadly beyond spoken cases
mudslinger
vsmaligner
  • Offensive
1 8.5

A person who spreads nasty stories about others to harm them, often in politics

is similar but applies to reputation harm in any context
defamer
vsmaligner
  • Formal
1 8.8

A person who says false things to harm someone's reputation

is the same malicious reputation harm but emphasizes attack motive
backbiter
vsmaligner
1 8.4

A person who says bad things about others behind their back to hurt their reputation

includes attacks made openly as well as those in absence
flayer
vsmaligner
  • Offensive
1 8.6

A person who attacks someone strongly in speech or writing

focuses specifically on harming reputation rather than harsh critique
reviler
vsmaligner
  • Offensive
1 8.7

A person who says mean things about someone, often publicly

is more about deliberate reputation harm, possibly using falsehoods
traducer
vsmaligner
  • Formal
9.9

A person who tells lies about someone to harm their good name

focuses on malicious reputation attack that may or may not involve lying
calumniator
vsmaligner
  • Formal
9.9

A person who lies about someone to harm their reputation

shares deliberate harm but may include nonpublished attacks too
libeler
vsmaligner
  • Formal
9.0

A person who writes false things about someone to harm their reputation

is the general malicious reputation attack not limited to writing
libelant
vsmaligner
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who writes or publishes false, harmful statements about someone

includes written and spoken malicious attacks rather than only publication
vilifier
vsmaligner
9.3

A person who says or writes false, hurtful things about someone

is narrower by stressing intent to harm reputation specifically
denigrator
vsmaligner
8.6

A person who unfairly says bad things about someone to make them seem unimportant

is more malicious and often involves deliberate defamation or lies

Antonyms

817 1.0

A person who backs a team or a cause

How Malicious

defamer
  • Formal
1 8.8
maligner
  • Offensive
9.9
detractor
33 7.1
critic
563 3.0

Surface Forms

maligner singular
maligners plural

Morphology

maligner = malign (transparent) = malign + er

Formed by the productive agentive suffix '-er' on the verb 'malign', so the meaning 'one who maligns' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Maligner comes from the word malign, which means 'to say bad things about someone', plus the ending -er that means 'a person who', and it begins with mal- meaning 'bad', like in malice and malicious. So a maligner is someone who says bad things to harm another person's reputation.