Calumniate is a verb that means to defame or make false statements about.

The Latin word calumnia (cal OOM ne uh) means ‘oppression.’ More recently, the English ancestor or this word, calumniate, has come to mean ‘injure the reputation of.’ Here’s an example:

When I ran for office, I swore I would never calumniate my opponents. But I have to confess that I did have a few occasions where I made statements about them that weren’t strictly correct.