discrediting
Undermining someone's credibility
Discrediting is the act of damaging someone's reputation or undermining the credibility of something.
You discredit a witness by exposing lies, discredit a theory by presenting contrary evidence, discredit an opponent by revealing scandal.
The leaked emails were aimed at discrediting the candidate.
The goal is to make people doubt or dismiss what they previously trusted.
False statements harming reputation
- slanderSpoken false defamation
- libelPrinted defamation
- smearSpread or defame
- vilificationAbusive condemnation of someone
denigration · calumny · aspersion · besmirch · tarnish · disgrace · dishonor · scandal
Absence of confidence
- mistrustLack of faith
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- doubtLack of firm belief
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
disbelief · incredulity · wariness · misgivings · questioning · uncertainty · cynicism · scrutiny
Collective harassment behavior
- scapegoatingUnfairly assigning fault to innocents
- harassmentAggressive, unwanted targeting
- victimizationBeing made to suffer
- isolationComplete separation from others
ostracism · targeting · bullying · retaliation · whistleblower · smear campaign · blacklisting · marginalization
defamation
False statements harming reputation
vilification · denigration · calumny · aspersion · besmirch · tarnish · disgrace · dishonor · scandal · infamy
distrust
Absence of confidence
skepticism · disbelief · incredulity · wariness · misgivings · questioning · uncertainty · cynicism · scrutiny · betrayal
mobbing
Collective harassment behavior
- scapegoatingUnfairly assigning fault to innocents
- harassmentAggressive, unwanted targeting
- victimizationBeing made to suffer
isolation · ostracism · targeting · bullying · retaliation · whistleblower · smear campaign · blacklisting · marginalization · gaslighting
- shamingshaming, humiliating, disgracing, dishonoring, degrading
- social crueltybullying, harassment, humiliation, shaming, mocking
- vilificationvilification, vilifying, demonizing, demonisation, demonize
- downplayingminimizing, downplay, trivializing, belittling, soft-pedal
- mistreatmentbullying, harassing, intimidating, oppressing, humiliating
- defamationslander, libel, defamation, defamatory statement, defaming
discreditingcrediting
Assigning recognition to someone
believing · trusting · vouching for · accrediting · taking at face value
discreditingvalidating
Confirming truth or accuracy
authenticating · verifying · accrediting · confirming · substantiating
discreditingendorsing
Publicly declaring approval
supporting · championing · promoting · backing · recommending
credit, incredible, credible, credibility, discredit, incredibly, credentials, credence, miscreant