character assassination

character assassination

A deliberate attempt to destroy the reputation of a public figure by releasing, revealing, or creating defamatory or damaging information about them. The so-called expose on the senator is character assassination, pure and simple. Releasing those decades-old photos this late in the campaign amounts to character assassination—and it will probably work.
See also: character
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

character assassination

Fig. seriously harming someone's reputation. The review was more than a negative appraisal of his performance. It was total character assassination.
See also: character
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • character
  • brush (something) under the carpet
  • brush (something) under the mat
  • brush (something) under the rug
  • brushed
  • speak ill of
  • speak ill of (someone or something)
  • speak/think ill of somebody
  • have a loose tongue
  • stum
References in periodicals archive
'In the recent past we have seen such a people who are using stage or rostrum for character assassination of others.
Sharif reportedly admitted that the character assassination drive has the backing of the presidency and 'this has hurt him.'
It is very easy to get consumed by the character assassination stuff that is going on,' he said.
He also said that the people should avoid character assassination of the Ulemas as the character of Maulana Noor Muhammad and Maulana Abdul Ghani is open to all.
It has been character assassination and we're angry and disgusted.
The Council recommended directing all TV channels to avoid character assassination of any individual.
Talking to various delegations that called on him at his residence on Saturday, he asserted that he has rendered sacrifices for his people and that he can never be defeated through such negative tactics of character assassination.
Ijaz also threatened to make public what he claimed was evidence of Interior Minister Rehman Maliks involvement in corrupt practices and accused him of indulging in character assassination. He contended that Rehman Malik had asked the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to rubber-stamp his demand for putting him on the Exit Control List.
THE PDs yesterday binned a copy of Magill magazine, which they said had engaged in the "deliberate character assassination" of leader Mary Harney.
Both said that the PML leadership was rather holding dialogue with Tahir-ul-Qadri for the sake of democracy and betterment of the country, regretting that instead of appreciating this move, the PML (N) had started character assassination as a political revenge.
He alleged that a media organization was involved in his continuous character assassination right from the start of the scandal.
"It has all been character assassination," says Alan Samson, head of Little, Brown.
Kazmi said that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is involved in a systematic character assassination on the feeding of Azam Khan Swati as he has bribed FIA for this task.
ISLAMABAD, November 28, 2010 (Balochistan Times): The federal minister for Religious affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi has strongly rebutted recent media reports, that he had ever sought moral support of religious organizations over recently surfacing Hajj corruption, saying that some elements were busy on his character assassination. According to Media reports, federal religious minister had strongly rejected the news that he had ever sought the support of Ahle-Sunnat organization over recently surfacing Hajj corruption, and these organizations had refused out rightly.
ISLAMABAD, November 28, 2010 (Frontier Star): The federal minister for Religious affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi has strongly rebutted recent media reports, that he had ever sought moral support of religious organizations over recently surfacing Hajj corruption, saying that some elements were busy on his character assassination. According to Media reports, federal religious minister had strongly rejected the news that he had ever sought the support of Ahle-Sunnat organization over recently surfacing Hajj corruption, and these organizations had refused outrightly.