verunglimpfen
Translation
to defame, to slander, to disparage
Examples
Er hat seinen Konkurrenten öffentlich verunglimpft.
He publicly defamed his competitor.
Man sollte niemanden wegen seiner Herkunft verunglimpfen.
One should not disparage anyone because of their origin.
Grammar Patterns
((sb./sth.)) to defame/slander sb./sth. He was slandered by the press.
Similar Words
Synonyms: to insult, to defame, to bad-mouth; Antonyms: to praise, to laud
Etymology
Comes from `ver-` (a prefix indicating something going wrong) + `unglimpflich` (harsh). Essentially, to treat someone harshly verbally.
Memory Tips
Imagine making someone's image 'un-glamorous' (`unglimpf-`) by speaking ill of them.