dai2 wai2詆毀诋毁
Jyutpingdai2 wai2
Yaledái wái
Definition
To defame; to damage someone's reputation with untruthful remarks.
neutralcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of malicious intent and calculated damage to someone's character. It is formal enough that you would rarely use it in casual, friendly banter, appearing more often in news reports, legal contexts, or serious arguments regarding professional integrity. Unlike simply saying someone is lying, this word specifically highlights the goal of ruining a reputation.
Examples
Don't go around defaming people behind their backs.
Why would he want to defame your reputation?
Related words
Common phrases
malicious defamation
to defame one's reputation
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general criticism or complaining. It is much more severe than 投訴 or 批評, as it implies the information being spread is intentionally false and damaging.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
