What's the difference between belittle and slander?

Belittle


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To make little or less in a moral sense; to speak of in a depreciatory or contemptuous way.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Harping on endlessly about a woman’s hair, legs and handbag instead of her ideas and achievements can be horribly belittling, a way of refusing to take her seriously as a professional.
  • (2) This is a dangerous moment for politics in Britain: it is not the moment to ignore or belittle the angry cry from voters telling us they are deeply sick of politics as usual.
  • (3) The more they feel insulted and belittled, the stronger their support for Corbyn.
  • (4) Comment is perfectly legitimate, but the sneering, supercilious, specious and dismissive contributions masquerading as ‘commentary’ belittle the claims of a ‘quality’ paper.” Before attempting to assess the validity of the reader’s analysis – broadly shared by some other readers – I think his email reflects one or two other interesting aspects of the demographics of the Guardian’s readership and the left.
  • (5) It happens within a society where we repeatedly hear victims dismissed, belittled and disbelieved at best, or, at worst,blamed for their own assaults.
  • (6) Perhaps Gove should attend some history lessons taught by the professionals he so belittles so that he can learn how to read and cite sources properly.
  • (7) That is not to belittle HIV – it is a life-changing condition, and some of the treatments have their side-effects – but, as HIV expert Prof Jonathan Weber put it to me, the treatment regimens developed in the mid-1990s are “so successful it’s like a miracle”.
  • (8) They had a candidate with pro-Putin, pro-Russian views who belittled Nato, who was willing to potentially remove sanctions on Russia and by contrast they had in Secretary Clinton a candidate very tough on Russia.
  • (9) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said: "I regret the Australian PM statement belittling the phone-tapping in Indonesia without feeling guilty.
  • (10) The eccentric, gonzo-ish path that Vice has chosen to pursue instead has itself come in for sharp criticism from detractors among those he belittles as football-chasers.
  • (11) Modotti, Ollin and, to a lesser degree, Novo (who was ultimately a man and therefore less irritating to those in power), were cast aside and belittled by those who had it in their power to do so.
  • (12) He reacted angrily to a question about his father’s comments to the Guardian, claiming words were put in his mouth and accusing the media of trying to belittle the closure.
  • (13) The last Labour government sometimes appeared to belittle the concerns of those who were fearful of the pace of change, or longed for stability or order."
  • (14) It is acceptable to criticise and belittle Islam because it is a religion, not an ethnic grouping – and therefore fair game.
  • (15) "People belittled me, implying that it was my fault and that I shouldn't be an independent woman," she added.
  • (16) In 2010 Lula came under fire after belittling the plight of political prisoners on hunger strike in Cuba. "
  • (17) What strikes me, as it must have done him, is the way in which the intention behind the article – to belittle the food bank initiative – was turned on its head by the social media backlash.
  • (18) With no intention of belittling the importance of chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD) in modern cardiology, the article focuses the attention on primary alcoholic heart disease--alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACMP)--which arouses a far from causal interest due to the prevalence of alcoholism.
  • (19) In treating Plath as simply an object of sympathy, I suspect I have belittled her.
  • (20) Demirtas has been the target of fierce campaign attacks by Erdogan, who belittled him a “pretty boy” who is merely a front for the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Slander


Definition:

  • (n.) A false tale or report maliciously uttered, tending to injure the reputation of another; the malicious utterance of defamatory reports; the dissemination of malicious tales or suggestions to the injury of another.
  • (n.) Disgrace; reproach; dishonor; opprobrium.
  • (n.) Formerly, defamation generally, whether oral or written; in modern usage, defamation by words spoken; utterance of false, malicious, and defamatory words, tending to the damage and derogation of another; calumny. See the Note under Defamation.
  • (v. t.) To defame; to injure by maliciously uttering a false report; to tarnish or impair the reputation of by false tales maliciously told or propagated; to calumniate.
  • (v. t.) To bring discredit or shame upon by one's acts.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) I will confine myself to correcting Kaiman's slanders against the most open and generous immigration system in the developed world.
  • (2) It is socially very divisive, it is stigmatising, it is subtly slanderous and it is immoral.
  • (3) It’s unfortunate that companies should have to continue to correct the government’s slander,” the union said.
  • (4) "I will, no doubt, be interrrupted, shouted down, slandered, put on the spot, and subject to a scrutiny that would be a thousand times more intense than anything directed at other panellists."
  • (5) "They slandered us, slung mud at us and shut us out of all the news media – the TV channels of the corrupt elite – and we beat them," the 55-year-old leader said as the votes came in.
  • (6) Sarah Champion, John Healey and Kevin Barron are suing Collins – who represents Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire in the European parliament – for libel and slander for accusations she made in her speech at last year’s Ukip party conference.
  • (7) They are slanderous and therefore libellous," she told the Sunday Times.
  • (8) There have been rumours, however, denied as slander by those still there, of rising alcoholism and petty thuggery.
  • (9) In spite of this manifest acknowledgment of John Hunter's greatness there are nevertheless numerous aspects of his character, his health, and his opinions which have been the subject of criticism, misunderstanding, lack of appreciation, and even slander.
  • (10) Consideration is given to potential liability due to malpractice, negligent interference with a workers' contractual relationship with his or her employer, libel and slander, and unauthorized release of information.
  • (11) China has condemned Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, for "maliciously slandering" its self-proclaimed air defence zone, ratcheting up the war of words between the neighbours over Beijing's annexation of the skies over a group of disputed islands.
  • (12) During his 45-minute talk delivered from Jamaica, Faisal was heard saying: “Instead of embracing the Islamic State, supporting the Islamic State and doing everything humanly possible for the success of the state … all they do is slander the mujahideen,” he said.
  • (13) Trump insisted that the press as a whole was “false and slanderous in every respect” and said “the depths of their immorality is absolutely unlimited”.
  • (14) Qatar’s FA said the remark by Zwanziger showed collective disrespect and was slanderous and he should not be allowed to repeat it, according to the court statement.
  • (15) While Vatican spokesmen continue to maintain that Seromba is a victim of malicious slander, the Florence diocese announced this week that it had an open mind as to his culpability.
  • (16) KCNA quoted the foreign ministry as saying: “As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident.
  • (17) But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied.
  • (18) As the United States is spreading groundless allegations and slandering us, we propose a joint investigation with it into this incident,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.
  • (19) Police staying back #OccupyGezi #Turkey June 11, 2013 9.08am BST AKP plans curb on Twitter The ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) has vowed to begin censoring Twitter in an effort to curb "dangerous" slander, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports .
  • (20) The drama about the slandered Bristol schoolteacher also won the mini-series prize, one of a number of double winners at the ceremony at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, on Sunday night.