maligning 1 of 3

noun

Definition of maligningnext
as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation public maligning of a person can actually be grounds for a lawsuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

maligning

2 of 3

adjective

as in insulting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

maligning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of malign
as in smearing
to make untrue and harmful statements about a candidate who believes that it is possible to win an election without maligning anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maligning
  1. defamation
  2. insulting
  3. libel
  4. disparaging
  5. degrading
  6. demeaning
  7. discrediting
  8. libelous
Noun
  • At a defamation trial in Washington D.C, Giuliani was unable to back up the claim and a jury awarded Freeman and Moss $148 million.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The ex-Trump attorney will have a second hearing over whether he should be held in civil contempt January 10 in Washington, D.C., as part of Freeman’s and Moss’ original defamation case against Giuliani.
    Alison Durkee, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of defamation
Adjective
  • This disastrous budget is even more insulting as Los Angeles County grapples with the devastation from four major fires.
    Bill Essayli, Orange County Register, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Hinchcliffe, who is not Puerto Rican, was just plain cruel, insulting and dehumanizing.
    David Plazas, The Tennessean, 29 Oct. 2024
Definition of insulting
Noun
  • Defamation trials are rare in the U.S. due to constitutional protections for the press, which make proving libel difficult.
    Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Lively sued Baldoni for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages; Baldoni sued the New York Times for libel, alleging that the publication defamed him with its piece about the alleged PR campaign against Lively.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of libel
Adjective
  • The 2023 Economic Report Of The President published in March of 2023 was relatively disparaging of cryptoassets and DLTs.
    Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Prior to appearing on Cunningham's show on Monday, Huggins made more disparaging remarks about Xavier.
    Emily DeLetter, The Enquirer, 10 May 2023
Definition of disparaging
Adjective
  • That smell of vinegar is not just an alarm bell that these objects are destroying themselves but that the degrading polymer is taking down innocent bystanders as well.
    Sarah Everts, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2016
  • More than 2 million people in the U.S. lack indoor plumbing and more live with failing sewage systems that can result in waste backing up into homes or pooling on the ground, threatening public health and degrading basic dignity, the EPA said.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Feb. 2024
Definition of degrading
Adjective
  • Many of the jobs available to young and inexperienced workers are entry-level roles in the retail, restaurant and service industries, and these jobs are often talked about in a demeaning way.
    Brandon Busteed, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Residents suddenly realized that Trump’s demeaning rhetoric about Haitian and Venezuelan immigrants could extend to them.
    Julia Preston, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024
Definition of demeaning
Verb
  • Many of the conspiracy theories have prompted FEMA to create a page on its site discrediting rumors and false information about its response to Hurricane Helene.
    Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2024
  • Still, the United States didn’t recognize Haiti as a nation until 1862, during the Civil War, when American leadership was looking for any support in discrediting slavery.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Definition of discrediting
Adjective
  • In Britain, Musk has called for the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right extremist who was jailed for 18 months in October for repeating a libelous claim about a Syrian refugee schoolboy attacking girls.
    Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Robinson was sentenced late last year to a year and a half in prison due to violating a court order prohibiting him from repeating libelous allegations about a Syrian refugee, and Musk has been calling for his release.
    Tara Suter, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of libelous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near maligning

maligned

maligning

malignity

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Cite this Entry

“Maligning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maligning. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on maligning

Nglish: Translation of maligning for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of maligning for Arabic Speakers

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