Asperse

Word of the Day

Asperse is a verb that means to criticize or attack the character of someone.

The Latin word aspergere (a SPARE ghere ay) means ‘to sprinkle’ or ‘to splatter.’ This may seem like an odd origin for a word that means ‘to attack someone’s character,’ but it may help to think of aspersing someone as splattering criticism on their reputation. For example: As a political commentator, I hesitate to asperse a politician’s reputation based on a single act. I would hate to poison their career without knowing anything about their character.