poison-pen letters
Anonymous hateful mail
Poison-pen letters are anonymous messages written with malicious intent, typically containing accusations, insults, threats, or scandalous allegations designed to cause distress or damage someone's reputation.
The term evokes the image of a pen dipped in venom rather than ink.
Such letters were once a staple of mystery novels and small-town gossip, though their modern equivalents often arrive as anonymous emails or social media messages.
The mayor received a series of poison-pen letters accusing him of corruption.
- hatefulArousing strong dislike
- hate mailThreatening or abusive correspondence
- anonymousOf unknown origin
- defamatoryHarming someone's good name
- harassingPersistently tormenting another
nasty gram · malicious · slanderous · libelous · vicious rumors · vilifying · threatening · cyberbullying · online harassment · privacy violation · correspondence · snail mail · revenge · character assassination · reputations · spite · whisper campaign · personal attacks
poison-pen letterslove letters
Romantic written messages
fan mail · thank-you notes · fan letters · kind words · valentines
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