calumniate

verb

1. (transitive)To make hurtful untrue comments about.

   “Hatred unto the truth did always falsely report and calumniate all godly men's doings.”

   “I missed her when she was not on the stage, in spite of the absorbing interest of that most calumniated and ill-used person, the Jew. (Speaking of Fanny Kemble as Portia)”

   “There are adherents of each of the four French parties—Legitimists, Orleanists, Imperialists, and Republicans—in this little mountain-town; and they all hate, loathe, decry, and calumniate each other.”

   “During the period of Pergamos great experiments were gone through by the Church which saw a false church appear near her, the latter was even noticeable in th periods of Ephesus and Smyrna. The synagogue of Satan, the false church when it appeared, began to calumniate the true Church terribly; the latter has always been disowned by those who left her in order to become faithless disciples, also by false brethren and by the world.”

2. (transitive)To levy a false charge against, especially of a vague offense, with the intent to damage someone's reputation or standing.