Asperse definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

View all »
Definitions (7)

American Heritage Dictionary (2)

transitive verb To spread false or damaging charges or insinuations against. See Synonyms at malign.
transitive verb To sprinkle, especially with holy water.

Century Dictionary (3)

To besprinkle; scatter over. Asperse and sprinkle the attendants. J. Heath, Flagellum, p. 159. The mourners returning from a Roman funeral, aspersed with water and stepping over fire, were by this double process made pure. E. B. Tylor, Prim. Culture, II. 398.
To bespatter with foul reports or false and injurious charges; tarnish in point of reputation or good name; slander; calumniate. With blackest crimes aspersed. Cowper, Iliad, vi. What perplexed us most, was to think who could be so base as to asperse the character of a family so harmless as ours. Goldsmith, Vicar, xiv.
Synonyms Asperse, Defame, Calumniate, Slander, Malign, Traduce, Libel, Vilify, decry, depreciate, disparage, slur, run down, lampoon, blacken. These words are all descriptive of attempts to injure reputation by false statements. They all apply primarily and chiefly to persons. There is often little or no difference between them. Asperse is, literally, to bespatter, as with mud or dirt; it sometimes implies injury to reputation by indirect insinuation. Defame is, literally, to lower the fame or repute of, to bring toward infamy, to make charges that are more open and weighty than aspersions. Calumniate, slander, and malign represent the most deliberate and deadly assaults upon reputation. The calumniator is most often the inventor of the falsehoods he circulates. The slanderer is less inventive and more secret, his work being generally behind the back of the injured person. The maligner is most mischievous, malicious, or malign in his motives. To traduce is to misrepresent, to show in an odious light. Libel and slander are the words most used in speaking of injury to reputation in its relation to the possible recovery of damages at law. To libel, therefore, often suggests the pecuniary loss by defamation; libel is strictly effected by publication, while slander is strictly by word of mouth. Vilify is, literally, to make one (seem) vile; it suggests a defamation of the coarser and more abusive sort. See decry. I am not sure … whether I ought not to call you out for aspersing the honour of the family. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 35. Whenever you would ruin a person or a government, you must begin by spreading calumnies to defame them. Quoted by I. D'Israeli, Amen. of Lit., II. 75. One trade or art, even those that should be the most liberal, make it their business to disdain and calumniate another. Bp. Sprat. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. Ps. l. 20. You malign our senators, for that They are not such as you. Shak., Cor., i. 1. If I am Traduc'd by ignorant tongues, … 'Tis but the fate of place, and the rough brake That virtue must go through. Shak., Hen. VIII., i. 2. His [Dr. Kendrick's] virulent attack on Johnson's Shakespeare may be preserved for its total want of literary decency …. He libelled all the genius of the age, and was proud of doing it. I. D'Israeli, Cal. of Auth., p. 217. When I find the first of men, in rank and genius, hating one another, and becoming slanderers and liars in order to lower and vilify an opponent, … I look back in vain on any barbarous people for more barbarism. Landor, Peter the Great and Alexis.

GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

WordNet (1)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

God permitted her to meet with some severe trials; for at a certain time all persons indiscriminately seemed TO be in a combination against her, and persecuted her under the opprobrious names of visionary, hypocrite, and the like imputations, all tending to asperse her innocency. — This Is Life!: Revolutions Around the Cruciform Axis
Who can tell how long health may last, or when an accident may happen the brain; what mortifications may await you in your own high sphere; what unknown enemies may rise up in your path; or what slanders may asperse your name--ha, ha! — Uncle Silas A Tale of Bartram-Haugh
"I cannot believe one word that would asperse him who has saved my father from a prison, or from death. — My Novel — Volume 12
And singly mad, asperse the sovereign reign. — The Iliad
Who would dare to asperse the character of this perfect, lovely, and intellectual schoolmistress? — Beatrice

More examples »

asperse

View all »
Definitions (7)

American Heritage Dictionary (2)

Century Dictionary (3)

GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

WordNet (1)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word »
Related

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Etymologies (2)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Century Dictionary (1)

Pronunciations
Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

asperse

View all » Definitions (7)

View all » Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word » Related

cross reference:

synonyms:

related words:

synonyms:

Etymologies (2)

Pronunciations Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

View all »
Definitions (7)

View all »
Examples (50)

stop updating
On Twitter

Add a related word »
Related

Pronunciations
Record your own »