SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
aspersion
noun
A remark that attacks someone's character or reputation.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Attack on reputation
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topCalumny and slander imply false damaging claims; aspersion can be a broader disparaging remark.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See aspersion in use
The moderator asked speakers to discuss the plan without casting aspersions.
Later, a visitor began to insinuate that Celia had lost the venue because the staff disliked her work. His innuendo relied on raised eyebrows and a reference to what 'everyone had heard,' not on any identified source. Another remark cast an aspersion on her reliability by suggesting that she could never be trusted to keep a commitment.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license