- detraction
- detraction, backbiting, calumny, slander, scandal arecomparable when they denote either the offense of one who defames another or casts aspersions upon him or what is uttered by way of defamation or aspersion.Detraction stresses the injurious effect of what is said and the loss through it of something (as the esteem of others or his credit, his deserts, or even his good name) precious to the person affected{
bring candid eyes unto the perusal of men's works, and let not . . . detraction blast well-intended labors— Browne
}{to listen to detraction is as much an act of detraction as to speak it— Manning
}Backbiting imputes both furtiveness and spitefulness to the one who asperses or defames; it suggests an unfair, mean, and cowardly attack when the victim is absent and unable to defend himself{refrain your tongue from backbiting: for there is no word so secret, that shall go for nought— Wisdom of Solomon 1:11
}{jealousy and intrigue and backbiting, producing a poisonous atmosphere— Russell
}Calumny stresses malicious misrepresentation; it therefore implies that the detractor is a liar and that his intent is to blacken another's name{be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny— Shak.
}{calumny differs from most other injuries in this dreadful circumstance: he who commits it can never repair it— Johnson
}{to persevere in one's duty and be silent is the best answer to calumny— Washington
}Slander (for legal use, see MALIGN) stresses the dissemination of calumnies, especially those of a highly defamatory character; thus, a person who is given to calumny is prone to malicious misrepresentation of the acts, the motives, or the character of others; a person who is given to slander is prone to repeat calumnies or defamatory reports without ascertaining or with complete indifference to their truth or falsehood{who spake no slander, no, nor listened to it— Tennyson
}{this charge cannot be excused as a reckless slander. It was a deliberate falsehood, a lie— New Republic
}Scandal (see also OFFENSE, DISGRACE) usually suggests the activity of a gossip, especially of an idle, irresponsible gossip (a scandalmonger), who spreads abroad shocking details, whether true or untrue, that reflect discredit on another or that tend to tarnish or blacken his reputation{it is difficult for a man to remain long in public life untouched by scandal
}{her tea she sweetens, as she sips, with scandal— Rogers
}{the reappearance of the priest upon the scene cut short further scandal— Cather
}
New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.
