The Collaborative International Dictionary
Calumnious \Ca*lum"ni*ous\, a. [L. calumniosus.] Containing or implying calumny; false, malicious, and injurious to reputation; slanderous; as, calumnious reports.
Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes.
--Shak.
Syn: . Slanderous; defamatory; scurrilous; opprobrious; derogatory; libelous; abusive. -- Ca*lum"ni*ous*ly, adv. -- Ca*lum"ni*ous*ness, n.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
late 15c., from Latin calumniosus, from calumnia (see calumny). Related: Calumniously.
Wiktionary
a. possessing the traits of calumny
WordNet
adj. (used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign [syn: calumniatory, defamatory, denigrative, denigrating, denigratory, libellous, libelous, slanderous]
Usage examples of "calumnious".
This calumnious report vexed me extremely, although I knew that most gamesters would consider it an honour.
Calumnious Dryasdusts would sometimes insolently father their title on James I.
Walter appears to have collected his information for the Life of Napoleon only from those libels and vulgar stories which gratified the calumnious spirit and national hatred.
A week or two previously a certain statesman had written to the same effect in reply to calumnious statements, and Richard consciously made that letter his model.
Thereupon she confessed that all that she had said during the last fortnight against Grandier was calumnious and false, and that all her actions had been done at the instigation of the Franciscan Pere Lactance, the director, Mignon, and the Carmelite brothers.
He concluded by calling for an investigation, which might dispose of the calumnious report before it had time to spread, and restore M.
The chariest maid is prodigal enough, If she unmask her beauty to the moon: Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes: The canker galls the infants of the spring, Too oft before their buttons be disclosed, And in the morn and liquid dew of youth Contagious blastments are most imminent.
For who will suffer it to be said that the demons have made known the calumnious fictions of the poets concerning the immortal gods, and also the disgraceful mockeries of the theatres, and their own most ardent lust after, and most sweet pleasure in these things, whilst they have concealed from them that Plato, with the gravity of a philosopher, gave it as his opinion that all these things ought to be removed from a well-regulated republic.
It pronounces the petition presented against the Twenty-two calumnious.