DEFAMED Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

defamed

verb

past tense of defame

as in libeled

to make untrue and harmful statements about of course I want to win the election, but I refuse to defame my opponent in order to do so

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in accused

archaic to make a claim of wrongdoing against so the harmless old woman was defamed of witchcraft

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of defamed Baldoni also filed a countersuit against Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, in January 2025, alleging that the couple and their PR firm had defamed him and Wayfarer Studios. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026 Former Mesa High School Athletic Director David Klecka is seeking $750,000 from the city, alleging a Mesa police officer defamed him and acted negligently during an investigation. — Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 23 July 2026 In 2025, that anonymous woman filed a countersuit, alleging in turn that the Tates defamed her. — Kat Tenbarge, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026 Trump separately was found civilly liable by another Manhattan federal court jury for having defamed Carroll. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 June 2026 In the process of court I have been fragmented, silenced, defamed and traumatized. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley is suing Mayor Karen Bass personally, alleging that, while campaigning for reelection, Bass defamed her, damaging Crowley’s reputation by blaming her for the city’s response during the catastrophic Palisades fire. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026 In her lawsuit, Theodat alleged that the Herald’s reporting of public lawsuits against her and the commission’s investigation of her, and her ultimate termination — that were matters of public interest – defamed her. — Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026 Hallivis is represented by Alexander Rufus-Isaacs, an attorney who has filed several suits against Netflix on behalf of people who alleged they were defamed in various shows. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defamed

Verb

Camille can still picture Burke standing over her, fake blood smeared across her dress.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
There’s rarely anything as straightforward as a kick drum, a hi-hat, or even a bassline here; instead, everything is smeared, all origins occulted in a thicket of echoes and reflections.

— Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of smeared

Verb

Royce Moser is then accused of driving the Jeep, as his mother followed along in another vehicle, to a parking lot in California Borough and leaving it there.

— Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Hickey is also accused of helping three other people illegally harvest turkeys.

— Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of accused

Verb

In their first national title game, the Wildcats humiliated Oklahoma in the national semifinal by 44, and in their second, demoralized Michigan in the title game by 17.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.

— Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of humiliated

Verb

In April, the Department of Justice indicted 10 current and former Mexican officials, including a Morena party official, on charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offenses.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2026
Murdaugh was indicted by a grand jury in July 2022 on double-murder charges in the 2021 deaths of his wife, Margaret, 52, and the couple’s younger son, Paul, 22.

— Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of indicted

Browse Nearby Words

defame

defamed

defamer

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Defamed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defamed. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of defamed

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on defamed

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

rigmarole

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes