calumniator
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who makes false and defamatory statements: A "calumniator" is someone who deliberately spreads malicious lies or slander about another person, with the intent to damage their reputation.
Usage Examples
- (The newspaper was accused of spreading false statements to harm someone's reputation.)
- (She ignored the person spreading lies, aware that the claims were untrue.)
Advanced Usage
- "to act as a calumniator": to deliberately and systematically spread false accusations.
- In political campaigns, it is common for opponents to act as calumniators, attacking each other's character. (In political campaigns, opponents often spread false claims to damage each other's reputation.)
Variants and Related Words
Calumny (n): the act or practice of making false and damaging statements about someone.
- The politician's career was ruined by calumny. (The politician's reputation was destroyed by false accusations.)
Calumniate (v): to make false and defamatory statements about someone.
- He was known to calumniate his rivals in secret meetings. (He was known to slander his rivals privately.)
Synonyms
- Slanderer: a person who makes false spoken statements intended to damage someone's reputation.
- Defamer: a person who attacks the good name of another through false statements.
- Libeler: a person who publishes false written statements that damage someone's reputation.
Related Idioms
"To cast a slur on someone": to make a damaging or insulting remark about someone, often equivalent to calumniating.
- He cast a slur on her character, but no one believed him. (He made a false attack on her character, but it was not believed.)
"To drag someone's name through the mud": to publicly say bad things about someone to ruin their reputation.
- The tabloid dragged the celebrity's name through the mud with false stories. (The tabloid spread lies to damage the celebrity's reputation.)