maligning
ma-lign-ing
noun
The act of speaking ill or making damaging statements about someone.
"His constant maligning caused distress."
verb
Speaking about someone critically or falsely to damage their reputation.
"He was maligning his former boss."
Thesaurus
Synonyms: malefic, evil, malevolent, maleficent, malign, badmouth, drag through the mud, traduce, cancerous