character assassination


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character assassination

n.
The malicious denunciation or slandering of another person, especially as part of an effort to ruin the reputation of a public figure.

character assassin n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

character assassination

n
the act of deliberately attempting to destroy a person's reputation by defamatory remarks
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

char′acter assassina`tion


n.
a slandering attack, esp. intended to damage the reputation of a public or political figure.
[1945–50]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.character assassination - an attack intended to ruin someone's reputation
calumniation, calumny, defamation, hatchet job, traducement, obloquy - a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

character assassination

noun
The expression of injurious, malicious statements about someone:
Law: libel.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
References in periodicals archive ?
The "ism" added to his name has become a generic symbol of guilt by accusation, character assassination, the big lie, and the repudiation of our country's traditional devotion to fair play and a fair trial.
He said last night: "You and others did a job on me - it was character assassination."
Shahbaz Sharif had taken the plea in his petition that Imran Khan levelled fake allegation of making offer of 10 billion rupees and Imran Khan indulged in character assassination by accusing him .
He said that social media was being used for character assassination of others by making their cartoons, parodies or using photo-shop or implementing various other modern tools.
There are fewer opportunities for them and the available ones are plagued with character assassination. Those who get promoted are not forgiven for performing well and are simply tagged as boss' 'favorite'.
London, Sept 5 (ANI): Actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who spent an entire night crying to her husband Matthew Broderick following a recent claim that suggested of her complaining about serving jury duty, has called the report a 'character assassination'.
IT appears that a mere five years since embarking on their criminal and disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq having in the meantime learned nothing from their misadventure, the misguided leaders of the US and UK governments are again orchestrating and directing a malicious propaganda campaign against the head of another member state of the United nations, namely President Mugabe of Zimbabwe, subjecting him to the sort of character assassination suffered by Saddam Hussein as a prelude to that illegal war.
Gloria Allred went on GMTV to defend a "courageous humanitarian" and accuse divorce judge Mr Justice Bennett of "character assassination".
Moreover,it could be argued that Kilroy's comments pale into insignificance when compared to the character assassination of our nation and the American nation by the Arab Al-Jazeeranews network before,during,and after, theIraqi conflict.
Throw in plotting and counter-plotting, spying on each other, character assassination, murky back-doors deals and seedy attempts to buy off trouble-makers and you have what has been happening at a major department of state under Stephen Byers.
This attempted character assassination by a local hack on the most gifted player/most successful manager in BCFC history has been a personal affront to every true Bluenose.
Safire's reasoning: One of Powell's closest friends, Richard Armitage, who Powell describes as "my brother and bodyguard" and a "friend of the heart," was the victim of a character assassination campaign by Perot while Armitage's nomination to be Secretary of the Army was under consideration.