What does defame mean?
To defame someone is to attack their reputation by spreading false statements about them, whether through speech, writing, or broadcast. The word carries strong negative connotations and sits at the heart of defamation law, which distinguishes between slander (defamation by spoken word) and libel (defamation in published or written form). In everyday usage, defaming someone implies more than mere criticism: it involves asserting things that are untrue and damaging, often maliciously. A journalist might be sued for defaming a politician; a disgruntled ex-employee might claim an employer defamed them with fabricated allegations. The register is formal, and the word appears most often in news reporting, courtrooms, and serious writing rather than casual conversation. Derived forms such as defamation (the act), defamatory (describing such statements), and defamer (one who defames) are all in common use, particularly in legal English.
verbTo damage the good reputation of someone by uttering or publishing false statements about them; to slander or libel a person.
- To harm someone's reputation by making false statements about them, whether spoken (slander) or written/published (libel).
- (Less common, extended use) To speak badly of a person or thing in general, even without legal implications.
"The article accused the tabloid of trying to defame an innocent public figure."
"The columnist sued after being defamed by a rival publication."
"He claimed the gossip had defamed him throughout the entire neighbourhood."
The same Latin root that gives us 'fame' gives us 'defame' — literally to 'un-fame' someone, stripping away their good name.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of defame
Defame comes from the Latin diffamare, meaning 'to spread abroad the report of' or 'to disgrace publicly', formed from dis- ('away, apart') plus fama ('report, fame, reputation'). It entered English via Old French in the Middle Ages, with recorded use from around the fourteenth century. The root fama also gives us fame, famous, infamous, and fable, so defaming someone is etymologically the act of destroying their fame — their good name.
Related word forms
How defame is actually used
Defame is largely formal and frequently appears in legal contexts, where it covers both slander (spoken) and libel (written) — together called defamation. It is almost always used negatively about deliberate falsehoods; merely criticising or stating unpleasant truths about someone does not legally count as defamation. The verb takes a person (or sometimes an institution) as its object: 'defame someone', not usually 'defame that'.
Easily confused with defame
Deform means to disfigure or distort the shape of something, while defame means to attack someone's reputation with false statements.