Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CALUMNY
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
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.
"Calumny," a word we've used in English since the 1500s, traces back to the Latin calvi, meaning "to trick, or to deceive."
Part of speech:
"Calumny" is a semi-common word. It's very formal, with a harsh tone.
"I've expended much of my career heaping calumny on bad science."
Explain the meaning of "calumny" without saying "slander" or "verbal attack."
While writing about people who make fun of "bad" but popular novels like Harry Potter and Twilight, Laura Miller said:
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.
1.
The opposite of CALUMNIATE could be
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. |