Wordwyrt

defame

/dɪˈfeɪm/dih-FAYM
/dɪˈfeɪm/dih-FAYM

Meaningto take away one's name

Common meaning: to damage someone's good name

‘down, away, off’ + ‘talk, report’ → defame

Journey through time

  1. Latinfāma‘talk, report’
  2. Old Frenchdefamersource
  3. Middle Englishdefamesource
  4. Englishdefame‘to damage someone's good name’ · today

de- also in: deterdecampdecidededucedefend

fam also in: famefamousinfamy

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin fāma ‘talk, report; reputation’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry fāma, p. 722 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • fāma Latin “talk, report; reputation”

Related words

famefamousinfamy

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