"much talked about," 1530s, past-participle adjective from fame "spread abroad, report" (v.), c. 1300, from Old French famer, from fame "reputation, renown" (see fame (n.)). To fame (someone) foul meant "to slander" (late 14c.).

mid-15c., obloquie, "evil speaking, slander, calumny, derogatory remarks," from Medieval Latin obloquium "speaking against, contradiction," from Latin obloqui "to speak against, contradict," from ob "against" (see ob-) + loqui "to speak," from PIE root *tolkw- "to speak." Related: Obloquious.

"pertaining to or containing a curse," 1660s, from Latin maledictus, from maledicere "to speak badly or evil of, slander" (from male "badly;" see mal- + dicere "to say," from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly") + -ory.

1590s, "act of lacerating;" 1630s, "breach or rend made by tearing;" from French lacération, from Latin lacerationem (nominative laceratio) "a tearing, rending, mutilation," noun of action from past-participle stem of lacerare "tear to pieces, mangle; slander, abuse" (see lacerate).

"displaying blasphemy, irreverent to God or sacred things," early 15c., blasfemous, from Old French blasfemeus or directly from Late Latin blasphemus, from blasphemare "to blaspheme," from Greek blasphēmein "to speak lightly or amiss of sacred things, to slander," from blasphēmos "evil-speaking" (see blasphemy).

"to slander, speak evil of, defame," mid-15c., malignen (originally with against), from Old French malignier "to plot, deceive, pervert" and directly from Late Latin malignare "to do maliciously," from malignus "wicked, bad-natured, mean, unkind" (see malign (adj.)). Related: Maligned; maligning.

mid-15c., "to lower in worth or value," from Late Latin vilificare "to make cheap or base; to esteem of little value," from Latin vilis "cheap, base" (see vile) + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Meaning "to slander, speak evil of" is first recorded 1590s. Related: Vilified, vilifying.

early 15c., detracten, "disparage, defame, slander," from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere "to take down, pull down, disparage," from de "down" (see de-) + trahere "to pull" (see tract (n.1)). Literal sense of "take away, withdraw" (c. 1500) is rare in English. Related: Detracted; detracting.

"to raise frivolous objections, find fault without good reason," 1540s, from French caviller "to mock, jest," from Latin cavillari "to jeer, mock; satirize, argue scoffingly" (also source of Italian cavillare, Spanish cavilar), from cavilla "jest, jeering," which is related to calumnia "slander, false accusation" (see calumny). Related: Caviller, cavilling.

mid-15c., aspercion, originally in theology, "the shedding of Christ's blood," from Latin aspersionem (nominative aspersio) "a sprinkling," noun of action from past-participle stem of aspergere "to sprinkle on," from ad "to" (see ad-) + spargere "sprinkle, strew" (see sparse). The non-theological sense of "a bespattering with slander, derogatory criticism" is attested from 1590s. To cast aspersions was in Fielding (1749).