pestilential rumor
- noun
- /ˌpɛstɪˈlɛnʃəl ˈrumər/
- Literature
- The pestilential rumor quickly spread throughout the small town, sowing distrust among neighbors.
Examples
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Nothing was more damaging than a pestilential rumor whispered in the corridors of power.
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Despite her efforts to clarify the truth, a pestilential rumor continued to haunt her career.
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The pestilential rumor spread quickly through the town.
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Have you heard the pestilential rumor about the mayor?
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Despite her efforts to clarify the truth, a pestilential rumor continued to haunt her career.
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Nothing was more damaging than a pestilential rumor whispered in the corridors of power.
-
The pestilential rumor quickly spread throughout the small town, sowing distrust among neighbors.
Synonyms
1
7.3
Rumours that try to hurt someone's reputation by spreading private facts
Antonyms
How Harmful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'pestilential' literally evokes pestilence (disease-like, harmful, spreading), so combined with 'rumor' a learner can infer a rumor that is damaging or spreads like a disease. This metaphorical but transparent modifier-to-noun composition follows normal semantic extension and is readily derivable by someone who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The phrase pestilential rumor comes from a simple image: the word pestilential comes from 'pestilence', a deadly disease, and rumor is like news that moves between people. So a pestilential rumor is a story that spreads like sickness and causes serious harm.