character assassination

noun

: the slandering of a person usually with the intention of destroying public confidence in that person

Synonyms of character assassination

• defamation
• libel
• defaming
• libeling
• criticism

Examples of character assassination in a Sentence

None of those rumors are true. She's been the victim of character assassination.

the actor's lawyers charge that the tabloid engaged in a deliberate campaign of character assassination

Recent Examples on the Web

Cries of character assassination that the super smart Donnie would have to ask an AI algorithm for advice could be found all over Twitter. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025

Fending off a character assassination? —Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025

The Court should exercise its discretion to exclude the evidence set forth to avoid unfair character assassination and to ensure a fair trial on the merits. —ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for character assassination

• deindustrialization
• immunoprecipitation
• individualisation
• individualization
• institutionalisation
• institutionalization
• internationalization
• neovascularization
• operationalization
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration