different between defame vs asperse

English

Etymology

From Middle English defamen, from Anglo-Norman defamer (verb), defame (noun), and its source, Latin diff?m?, from f?ma (“fame; rumour; reputation”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??fe?m/
• Rhymes: -e?m

Verb

defame (third-person singular simple present defames, present participle defaming, simple past and past participle defamed)

1. To disgrace; to bring into disrepute. [from 4th c.]

   • My guilt thy growing virtues did defame; / My blackness blotted thy unblemish'd name.

2. (now chiefly historical) To charge; to accuse (someone) of an offence. [from 14th c.]

   Rebecca is […] defamed of sorcery practised on the person of a noble knight.

3. To harm or diminish the reputation of; to disparage. [from 4th c.]

   to defame somebody

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Related terms

• defamatory
• defamation

Translations

Noun

defame (countable and uncountable, plural defames)

1. (now rare, archaic) Disgrace, dishonour. [from 14th c.]
   • 1613, John Marston, William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess, I.1:

     And all the sparks that may bring unto flame / Hate betwixt man and wife, or breed defame.

2. (now rare or nonstandard) Defamation; slander, libel. [from 15th c.]

Further reading

• defame in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• defame in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Latin aspersus, past participle of aspergere.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??sp??s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??sp?s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)s

Verb

asperse (third-person singular simple present asperses, present participle aspersing, simple past and past participle aspersed)

1. To sprinkle or scatter (liquid or dust).
2. To falsely or maliciously charge another; to slander.

   • This is indeed a most aggravating circumstance, which attends depriving men unjustly of their reputation; for a man who is conscious of having an ill character, cannot justly be angry with those who neglect and slight him; but ought rather to despise such as affect his conversation, unless where a perfect intimacy must have convinced them that their friend’s character hath been falsely and injuriously aspersed.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:defame

Translations

Anagrams

• Parsees, pareses, preases, preasse, seprase, serapes

Italian

Verb

asperse

1. third-person singular past historic of aspergere

asperse

1. feminine plural of asperso

Anagrams

• esparse
• paresse
• passere
• spesare
• speserà

Latin

Participle

asperse

1. vocative masculine singular of aspersus