asperse

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /əˈspɝs/ UK /əˈspɜːs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to attack the reputation of with damaging false statements

He sought to asperse his rival with baseless rumors.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to attack the reputation of... slander defame malign vilify calumniate besmirch traduce disparage

Opposites

praise laud extol commend

Word family

Derived forms asperseraspersion

Related forms aspersion sparse disperse intersperse

Etymology

From Latin aspersus, past participle of aspergere ('to sprinkle on'), from ad- ('to, on') + spargere ('to scatter, sprinkle'); the sense of casting slurs developed from sprinkling with reproach.

aspergere Latin spargere Latin *sper(g)- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# asperse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /əˈspɝs/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈspɜːs/

## Meanings
1. to attack the reputation of with damaging false statements

## Examples
- He sought to asperse his rival with baseless rumors.

## Synonyms
- slander
- defame
- malign
- vilify
- calumniate
- besmirch
- traduce
- disparage

## Antonyms
- praise
- laud
- extol
- commend

## Derived Forms
- asperser
- aspersion

## Related Forms
- aspersion
- sparse
- disperse
- intersperse

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: aspergere
- Root: spargere
- Root: *sper(g)-

## Etymology
From Latin aspersus, past participle of aspergere ('to sprinkle on'), from ad- ('to, on') + spargere ('to scatter, sprinkle'); the sense of casting slurs developed from sprinkling with reproach.

## AI Etymology
Asperse is from Latin aspersus, past participle of aspergere ('to sprinkle on'), from ad- ('to, on') + spargere ('to scatter, sprinkle'); the sense of casting slurs developed from sprinkling with reproach. Important recorded forms include aspergere (Latin), spargere (Latin), and *sper(g)- (Proto-Indo-European). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers to attack the reputation of with damaging false statements. The wider family includes derived forms such as asperser and aspersion and related words such as aspersion, sparse, disperse, and intersperse.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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