slander
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slander
Negative talk, nasty rumors, or defamatory statements spread about an absent person that damage their reputation.
Er leidet sehr unter der bösen Nachrede seiner ehemaligen Kollegen.
He suffers greatly from the malicious slander of his former colleagues.
The word consists of the prefix 'nach-' and the noun 'Rede' (speech/talk). The prefix 'nach-' here suggests that someone is being talked about after they have left or without them being present.
Die ständige Nachrede im Dorf machte ihr das Leben schwer.
The constant slander in the village made her life difficult.
'Nachrede' (slander) is almost always used in a negative context and is very often combined with the adjectives 'böse' (malicious) or 'üble' (nasty) to emphasize the harmful intent.
Sie war das Opfer übler Nachrede.
She was the victim of nasty slander.
A typical construction describes the effect on a person. The phrases 'unter der Nachrede leiden' (to suffer from the slander) or 'die Nachrede fürchten' (to fear the slander) are often used.
Viele Prominente leiden unter der ständigen Nachrede in der Presse.
Many celebrities suffer from the constant slander in the press.
rumor
'das Gerücht' and 'die Nachrede' can both mean that something is being said about someone that is not certainly true. 'Gerücht' is more neutral: it can be about a person, a company, or an event, and it does not always have to be meant maliciously. 'Nachrede' is clearly more negative. It means bad talk about an absent person and can damage their reputation. The words are easy to confuse when a rumor about someone is negative. In that case, it can also be 'Nachrede'. For a single unconfirmed piece of information, 'Gerücht' usually fits; for harmful talk about a person, 'Nachrede' is more appropriate.
Der Kollege wehrte sich gegen die üble Nachrede, weil sie seinem Ruf schadete.
The colleague defended himself against the malicious slander because it damaged his reputation.
Sie glaubt das Gerücht über die Prüfung nicht, weil niemand eine sichere Quelle kennt.
She does not believe the rumor about the exam because no one knows a reliable source.