mudslinger
mudslinger — noun
1. a person, especially a politician or journalist, who deliberately says insulting
a person, especially a politician or journalist, who deliberately says insulting or damaging things about a rival to harm their reputation
The mayor called his opponent a dirty mudslinger during the televised debate.
mudslinger + dirty for emphasis
Voters quickly tired of the mudslinger's false claims about the candidate's past.
Adisa warned the team against becoming a mudslinger in the final weeks of the campaign.
That newspaper has a reputation for hiring mudslingers instead of honest journalists.
Devika refused to lower herself to being a mudslinger, even when provoked by harsh attacks.
- slanderer
more formal and legal; implies spreading false statements with intent to harm
- defamer
more formal; focuses on damaging someone's good name rather than the attack style
- detractor
milder; someone who criticises or speaks negatively, not necessarily with malicious intent
- smear merchant
also informal and political, but emphasises coordinated, deliberate rumour-spreading
文法句型
a + mudslinger
modifier + mudslinger
用法筆記
This noun is nearly always used to criticise someone — calling a person a mudslinger is itself an accusation of unfair behaviour. The word appears most often in political reporting and public debate.