Word: calumny (noun)

Associations

"Calumny" means making false and harmful statements about someone to damage their reputation. It is like spreading lies or slander.

• Example 1: The politician was a victim of calumny during the election campaign. (False accusations were spread about him.)
• Example 2: She suffered from calumny after rumors about her behavior circulated at work. (People spread untrue stories to hurt her image.)
• Example 3: Calumny can destroy friendships and trust between people. (False words can harm relationships.) A well-known synonym is "slander." The difference is that "slander" usually means spoken false statements, while "calumny" can be more general, including written or spoken lies.

Substitution

You can use words like:

• slander (false spoken statements)
• defamation (damage to reputation by false statements)
• libel (false written statements) Using "defamation" is more formal and covers both spoken and written lies, while "calumny" is a bit old-fashioned and literary.

Deconstruction

"Calumny" comes from Latin "calumnia," meaning trick or false accusation. It has no prefix or suffix to break down in English. The root idea is about tricking or harming someone by false words.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where calumny might cause serious problems?
• Have you ever heard a false rumor about someone? How did it affect that person?
• How is calumny different from simply criticizing someone? When does criticism become harmful?