malign
muh-LINEverbMeaning to say harmful and untrue things about someone
Memory hook a MAL LINE. A mean line about someone that is not true: whispering “Dev cheats!” is a way to malign him.
It is unfair to malign a teammate who is not there to answer.
In context Rather than bake better bread, the rival shop tried to malign its new neighbor, telling customers false stories about its kitchen.
Similar slander, smear, disparage, defame
Opposite praise, defend, compliment
From Latin malignus, “ill-natured,” the opposite of benignus.