Fame and defame are two words that are sometimes confused, as they are not exact antonyms but they are related. We will examine the definitions of the words fame and defame, where they came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Fame is a state in which one is known by many, having the stature of celebrity. Fame carries the connotation of people or things that are well known for something positive. The noun fame comes from the Latin word fama, which means public opinion, reputation, repute. Fame is a mass noun, which is a noun that can not be counted and has no plural form.
Defame means to destroy or damage someone’s good reputation, to libel or slander someone with false information or lies. Defame is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are defames, defamed, defaming, defamer, defamation, defamatory. The word defame is derived from the Latin word diffamare, which means to incite a scandal or to spread nasty rumors.
ExamplesYet while so many of his peers — Willie, Waylon, Johnny — would be on a first-name basis with fame, Shaver continues his rolling attempt to introduce himself. (The Washington Post)Not everyone who becomes newsworthy trades, and in deciding how much privacy anyone’s fame reasonably costs, it can be useful to ask what type of fame the person enjoys/endures. (The Guardian)
The BJP will send a legal notice to Sourav Chakraborty, the Trinamul MLA of Alipurduar, for remarks allegedly defaming the party. (The Telegraph India)
“The party must apologise for defaming Hindu culture, insulting Hindus,” he said at a public meeting in the Gandhi family’s home turf. (The Business Standard)