“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

blacken the character of

run a smear campaign against

blacken someone's name

sully someone's reputation

drag someone's name through the mud

spread lies about

blacken the reputation of

bastardize^US

belabor^US

disfavour^UK

disfavor^US

bastardise^UK

belabour^UK

drag someone's name through the mire

write false reports about

cast in a bad light

pick to pieces

do down

damage the reputation of

harm the reputation of

tear to shreds

muddy the reputation of

bring dishonour to

nitpick over

sully the reputation of

drag name through mud

speak of with disfavour

demoralise^UK

demoralize^US

brutalize^US

brutalise^UK

demonize^US

demonise^UK

ostracise^UK

ostracize^US

conduct a smear campaign against

put someone in their place

make someone eat crow

take down a peg or two

give something a bad press

minimize^US

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

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

give something a battering

trivialise^UK

give someone a bad press

rip into

rap over the knuckles

bollock

give someone a rollicking

give someone a dressing-down

rake over the coals

rag

keelhaul

give someone a bollocking

marginalize^US

marginalise^UK

express a poor opinion of

be rude to

call names

jump down one's throat

slap on the wrist

put someone on the hot seat

pin your ears back

pooh pooh

crawl all over

look down one's nose at

let fly at

put someone on the griddle

give a tongue-lashing

annoy

jump down someone's throat

blacken someone's reputation

aggravate

jump on one's case

bite someone's head off

snap someone's head off

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

call to account

hold accountable

hold someone to blame

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

lack of respectability

source of discredit

harm

bad reflection

skeleton in the cupboard

more ❯

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