Make Your Point: CALUMNY

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pronounce CALUMNY:

KAL um nee

connect this word to others:

I'm not a lawyer, so don't quote me on this in court, but calumny is the act of spreading nasty lies about people.

It's very similar to concepts like libel, slander, defamation, disparagement, and tra____ment.

Can you recall that last word? It means "speech or writing that dishonors or disgraces people."

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Calumny," a word we've used in English since the 1500s, traces back to the Latin calvi, meaning "to trick, or to deceive."

Calumny is the act of saying terrible things (and often false things) about someone in order to hurt their reputation on purpose.

Calumny can also be the terrible, often-false, reputation-damaging things that people say.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, often the uncountable kind: "They're guilty of calumny;" "The report is full of calumny."

Also the countable kind: "They're guilty of calumnies;" "The report is full of calumnies."

Other forms:

The plural noun is "calumnies."

The verb is "calumniate," pronounced "kuh LUM nee ate" (hear it here). Its other forms are "calumniated," "calumniating," and "calumniation." But if you find yourself talking about "calumniation," you may want to switch back to the simpler, more common noun, "calumny."

how to use it:

"Calumny" is a semi-common word. It's very formal, with a harsh tone.

You might talk about people whispering, uttering, publishing, or shouting calumnies. Or about people heaping or piling calumnies on someone.

Although calumny generally targets individual people, it can also target groups of people, or things. "The media hurled calumnies, claiming Wells Fargo was evil and heartless." "They piled calumny on this entire movie franchise."

Finally, you can talk about calumny in general: "He is above calumny." "We have no patience for calumny."

examples:

"I've expended much of my career heaping calumny on bad science."
— John Horgan, Scientific American, 29 July 2011

"The remainder of his speech was a bumper-car pileup of grievances, digressions, false boasts and casual calumny."
— Dan Zak, Washington Post, 19 December 2019

has this page helped you understand "calumny"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "calumny" without saying "slander" or "verbal attack."

try it out:

While writing about people who make fun of "bad" but popular novels like Harry Potter and Twilight, Laura Miller said:

"As for bad literature, the more calumny that can be heaped on it and those who love it, the better!"

Could you explain what she means? Why do you think some people love to heap calumny on "bad" popular books? In your opinion, is any of the calumny justified?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "That’s What They Said."

Consider a quote from The Office, and decide which of three given terms you can most easily connect it to. You can see my suggested answer by scrolling to the bottom of the issue. But yours doesn’t need to match mine.

For example, if I give you this:

Kelly: "I talk a lot, so I've learned to just tune myself out." Abstemious, garrulous, or ominous?

Then you might answer, "Garrulous, because Kelly talks on and on."

Try this one today:

Angela: "I don't want to be married in a tent like a hobo." Diametric, discursive, or denigrating?

review this word:

1. The opposite of CALUMNIATE could be

A. SCINTILLATE (to shine with wit or energy).
B. PATRONIZE (to treat people snobbily, as if they're below you).
C. WHITEWASH (to make people seem more honorable than they actually are).

2. According to a writer for The Daily Beast, even in Mary Tudor's lifetime, people heaped calumny on her, calling her "_____."

A. deeply unpopular
B. misunderstood and unweddable
C. a horrible monster Jezebel

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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