“The bed's heart is a wet wound, a pulsing broken sore, with the hint of whiteness under folds of black and ruddy blood oozing to besmirch the sheets.”

Verb

▲

To bring disrepute to, especially through aspersions

sully

stigmatise^UK

stigmatize^US

dishonour^UK

scandalise^UK

scandalize^US

dishonor^US

drag through the mire

criticize^US

criticise^UK

pummel^US

pummelled^UK

run a smear campaign against

blacken someone's name

sully someone's reputation

dump on

drag someone's name through the mud

blacken the character of

jump on

spread lies about

blacken the reputation of

bastardize^US

disfavour^UK

disfavor^US

bastardise^UK

belabor^US

belabour^UK

drag someone's name through the mire

write false reports about

damage the reputation of

harm the reputation of

tear to shreds

muddy the reputation of

back-bite

bring dishonour to

nitpick over

sully the reputation of

drag name through mud

warp

berate

offend

demoralise^UK

demoralize^US

brutalize^US

brutalise^UK

demonize^US

demonise^UK

ostracise^UK

ostracize^US

conduct a smear campaign against

speak of with disfavour

put someone in their place

make someone eat crow

take down a peg or two

give something a bad press

injure the reputation of

cast aspersion

taint someone's name

blacken someone's character

stain someone's good name

accuse falsely

sully someone's name

tarnish someone's name

minimize^US

vulgarize^US

ruin the reputation of

pooh-pooh

bring into disfavour

vulgarise^UK

bestialize

damage someone's reputation

destroy someone's credibility

minimise^UK

trash-talk

play down

defame someone's character

categorize^US

vandalize^US

vandalise^UK

categorise^UK

give someone a roasting

trivialize^US

trivialise^UK

give something a battering

give someone a bad press

make light of

bollock

rap over the knuckles

treat lightly

give someone a rollicking

give someone a dressing-down

rag

keelhaul

give someone a bollocking

marginalize^US

marginalise^UK

put someone on the griddle

give a talking-to

jeer at

put someone on the hot seat

express a poor opinion of

be rude to

call names

jump down one's throat

look down one's nose at

give a tongue-lashing

annoy

jump down someone's throat

blacken someone's reputation

bite someone's head off

snap someone's head off

hold someone to blame

give someone a caning

give someone a mouthful

give someone a telling-off

give someone a wigging

send someone away with a flea in their ear

give someone what for

put on the mat

blow up at

give someone some stick

give someone an earful

rap someone the knuckles

give someone a rating

hurt somebody's feelings

cut dead

treat disrespectfully

take the wind out of your sails

make a fool of

put to shame

cause to feel small

settle someone's hash

make ashamed

put out of countenance

make someone eat humble pie

more ❯

“I regard the continued campaign by some in the media to denigrate and besmirch the reputation of the Navy as quite outrageous.”

Noun

▲

An imperfection, fault, or bad name associated with someone or something

dishonour^UK

dishonor^US

disfavour^UK

disfavor^US

blot on the escutcheon

skeleton in the cupboard

lack of respectability

more ❯

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