aspersion
/əˈspəːʃ(ə)n
/noun (usually aspersions)
An attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something: I don’t think anyone is casting aspersions on you...
- He said it was unacceptable and outrageous that his integrity had been questioned and aspersions cast on his character.
- It must be read in context of the earlier exchange and the judge's aspersions on her integrity.
- They were roundly subjected to insults, smutty comments and had a multitude of aspersions cast about their manhood for the duration of their walk around the town.
Synonyms
vilification, disparagement, denigration, defamation, defamation of character, abuse, vituperation, condemnation, criticism, censure, castigation, denunciation, flak, deprecation, opprobrium, obloquy, derogation, slander, revilement, reviling, calumny, calumniation, slurs, smears, execration, excoriation, lambasting, upbraiding, bad press, character assassination, attack, invective, libel, insults, slights, curses
informal mud-slinging, bad-mouthing, tongue-lashing
British informal stick, verbal, slagging off, slagging
archaic contumely
rare animadversion, objurgation
vilify, disparage, denigrate, defame, run down, impugn, revile, berate, belittle, abuse, insult, slight, attack, speak badly of, speak ill of, speak evil of, pour scorn on, criticize, censure, condemn, decry, denounce, pillory, lambaste;
fulminate against, rail against, inveigh against, malign, slander, libel, conduct a smear campaign against, spread lies about, blacken the name/reputation of, sully the reputation of, give someone a bad name, bring into disrepute, discredit, stigmatize, traduce, calumniate, slur
informal bad-mouth, do a hatchet job on, take to pieces, pull apart, throw mud at, drag through the mud, slate, have a go at, hit out at, jump on, lay into, tear into, knock, slam, pan, bash, hammer, roast, skewer, bad-mouth, throw brickbats at
British informal rubbish, slag off
North American informal pummel, dump on
Australian/New Zealand informal bag, monster
archaic contemn
rare derogate, vituperate, asperse, vilipend
Origin
Late Middle English (denoting the sprinkling of water, especially at baptism): from Latin aspersio(n-), from aspergere (see asperse).
To engage in casting aspersions is almost literally mud-slinging. Aspersion originally meant ‘sprinkling water or other liquid on someone’, especially in baptism, and came from Latin spargere ‘to sprinkle’ (the root of disperse (Late Middle English) ‘scatter widely’, and intersperse (mid 16th century) ‘sprinkle between’). Sprinkling a person with water developed into the idea of spattering them with something less pleasant, such as mud or dung. This in turn led to the notion of soiling a person's reputation by making false and damaging insinuations against them. See also slur