| noun | United States painter (born in England) of portraits and historical scenes (1783-1872) |
| noun | French statesman (1560-1641) |
| verb | place under suspicion or cast doubt upon “sully someone's reputation” |
| verb | make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically “The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air” |
| verb | charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone “The journalists have defamed me!” |
| cloud | noun | suspicion affecting your reputation |
| tarnish | noun | discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation |
| stain | noun | a symbol of disgrace or infamy; --Genesis |
| macula | noun | a patch of skin that is discolored but not usually elevated; caused by various diseases |
| maculation | noun | the act of spotting or staining something |
| defamatory | adjective | (used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign |
| defamation | noun | a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions |
| defamer | noun | one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel |
| slander | noun | an abusive attack on a person's character or good name |
| slanderer | noun | one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel |
| smirch | noun | an act that brings discredit to the person who does it |
| aspersion | noun | a disparaging remark |
| denigratory | adjective | (used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign |
| denigration | noun | an abusive attack on a person's character or good name |
| calumny | noun | a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions |
| smear | noun | slanderous defamation |