defame
verb /dɪˈfeɪm/
/dɪˈfeɪm/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they defame | /dɪˈfeɪm/ /dɪˈfeɪm/ |
| he / she / it defames | /dɪˈfeɪmz/ /dɪˈfeɪmz/ |
| past simple defamed | /dɪˈfeɪmd/ /dɪˈfeɪmd/ |
| past participle defamed | /dɪˈfeɪmd/ /dɪˈfeɪmd/ |
| -ing form defaming | /dɪˈfeɪmɪŋ/ /dɪˈfeɪmɪŋ/ |
- defame somebody/something to harm somebody by saying or writing bad or false things about them
- The newspaper denies any intention to defame the senator’s reputation.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French diffamer, from Latin diffamare ‘spread evil report’, from dis- (expressing removal) + fama ‘report’.