defame

/dɪˈfeɪm/

//dɪˈfeɪm// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"defame" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defame” is uncommon English (frequency #51,058 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,058
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To disgrace; to bring into disrepute.

Corpus desk

Index EN-defame · defame · English

defame · rank #51,058 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,058
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deconstruct

Nearest frequency peer: deconstruct (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “defame”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “defame” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for defame
PropertyValue
Headworddefame
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈfeɪm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#51,058
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “defame” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).defamefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “deconstruct” (#51,057), “deliberative” (#51,059), “DHCP” (#51,060). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “defame” is #51,058. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

defame is uncommon English at frequency #51,058 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /dɪˈfeɪm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for defame, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English defamen, from Anglo-Norman defamer (verb), defame (noun), and its source, Latin diffāmō, from fāma (“fame; rumour; reputation”). The correct English form is defame, spelled D-E-F-A-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To disgrace; to bring into disrepute.
  2. 2
    To charge; to accuse (someone) of an offence.
  3. 3
    To harm or diminish the reputation of; to disparage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how defame appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. My guilt thy growing virtues did defame; / My blackness blotted thy unblemish'd name.
  2. Rebecca is […] defamed of sorcery practised on the person of a noble knight.

Etymology

From Middle English defamen, from Anglo-Norman defamer (verb), defame (noun), and its source, Latin diffāmō, from fāma (“fame; rumour; reputation”).

Synonyms

assassinateaspersebackbitebadmouthbefoulbelibelbesmirchbesmearbewrayblackenblameblazeblemishblotblurcalumniatecalumnychat shitchat shiteclouddefamedemonizedenigratedepravedepreciatedetractdirtydiscreditdisgracedisparagedisreputedissdrag through the mudforgabforspeakfoulinfamizelampoonlibelmalignmonsterizemuddyreproachrevilescandalshit-talkslagslandersmearsmirchspatterspotspeak ill ofstabstainsullytalk shittalk shitetalk trashtarnishtorchtraducetrash-talkunflattervilifyvilipendvillainizewrong

Antonyms

flatterpraisestand up for

This word in other languages

difamar(Español)diffamer(Français)diffamieren(Deutsch)difamar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defame"?
"defame" is spelled D-E-F-A-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfeɪm/.
What does "defame" mean?
As a verb, "defame" means: To disgrace; to bring into disrepute.
How do you pronounce "defame"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defame" is /dɪˈfeɪm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defame"?
From Middle English defamen, from Anglo-Norman defamer (verb), defame (noun), and its source, Latin diffāmō, from fāma (“fame; rumour; reputation”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "defame", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Davina#51,053costed#51,037Colfax#51,027Ciaran#51,021

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list