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malignment

malignment

9.9
Harmful false statements about someone that damage their reputation
  • noun
  • /məˈlaɪnmənt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : calumnia
  • The actor faced public scrutiny after the malignment that portrayed him as untrustworthy.

Examples

  • His reputation suffered greatly due to the malignment spread by his former colleagues.

  • She decided to confront the malignment about her character that was circulating in the media.

  • The post office is indeed in trouble due to the constant malignment of the right...

    Blog text (21)
  • As for me, if you are embarrassed by your slimy malignments of others, then maybe you should say not conduct your "business" in public?

    Blog text (13)

Synonyms

smear
vsmalignment
49 5.7

A false or unfair statement meant to hurt someone's reputation

is the broader act that includes such damaging untrue accusations
libel
vsmalignment
  • Specialized
41 7.7

A false written statement that harms someone's reputation

is the general wrongful act that includes both spoken and written forms
defamation
vsmalignment
  • Formal
40 7.1

To harm someone's reputation by saying untrue things about them in public

is the slanderous form of that same reputational harm
character assassination
vsmalignment
  • Literature
15 7.3

Hurts someone's reputation on purpose by spreading false or harmful stories

is similar but framed as the single act of false defamation
vilification
vsmalignment
  • Formal
6 8.4

Saying or writing very harsh and unfair things about someone to damage their reputation

focuses more narrowly on false statements meant to defame rather than abuse tone
calumny
vsmalignment
  • Formal
4 9.3

A false statement that damages someone's reputation

is the same act described with a different term
calumniation
vsmalignment
  • Formal
9.9

Telling lies about someone to harm what people think of them

is the same harmful act expressed with another label
traducement
vsmalignment
  • Archaic
9.9

A false statement that harms someone's reputation

covers that same harmful false statement as a general act
slanderousness
vsmalignment
9.0

The act of saying false, damaging things about someone

names the actual act of saying those false damaging statements

Antonyms

161 1.0

Words or actions that show admiration for someone

How Defamatory

to libel
  • Specialized
5 8.2
malignment
  • Archaic
9.9
to slander
  • Specialized
31 6.3

Surface Forms

malignment singular
malignments plural

Morphology

malignment = malign (transparent) = malign + ment

Formed by the verb 'malign' + the noun-forming suffix '-ment', so the meaning 'the act/result of maligning' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Malignment comes from the prefix mal- meaning 'bad' and the word malign meaning 'to speak ill of'. So it literally means 'bad speaking', which is why malignment refers to making harmful or false statements about someone.