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毁谤 (huǐ bàng) — to slander, to defame (spread false and malicious statements about someone)

Definition

毁谤 (huǐ bàng) is a formal, written verb meaning to deliberately spread false statements that damage someone's reputation. It is stronger and more literary than the everyday 诽谤 fěibàng.

verb
to slanderto defame (spread false and malicious statements about someone)

Examples

  • 毁谤。
    Tā lì yòng méi tǐ huǐ bàng jìng zhēng duì shǒu.
    He used the media to slander his competitors.
  • 毁谤。
    Zhè piān bào dào míng xiǎn zài huǐ bàng nà wèi zhèng kè.
    This report is clearly slandering that politician.
  • 毁谤。
    Tā bèi kòng gào huǐ bàng tā rén míng yù.
    He was accused of defaming others' reputation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

毁huǐdefame
谤bàngslander

毁 (defame) and 谤 (slander) stand side by side to mean spreading damaging false talk.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 毀; 毁 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 毀 combines 臼 (cracked skull), 工 (tool), and 殳 (hand action) as a man being hit in the head; this explanation is about 毀, not the simplified 毁.

Open 毁 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 謗; 谤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
旁
旁páng謗bàng
Same sound today

The traditional form 謗 pairs 言 (speech) with 旁 to give the sound; the simplified 谤 is a later shorthand.

Appears in
Crime & PoliceConflict & Agreement

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