Mudslings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Abusive or defamatory remarks hurled at a person in order to damage their reputation or standing
2. Insults and accusations flung back and forth, typically in a bitter public dispute between rivals
3. Spiteful verbal attacks aimed at discrediting an opponent, often exchanged in politics or personal quarrels

Etymology: "Mudslings" is the plural of "mudsling", a noun meaning a bitter verbal attack. The singular "mudsling" is a back-formation from "mudslinging", the gerund of "mudsling" as a verb. Back-formation means a shorter word is created by removing what looks like an ending: speakers saw "-ing" on "mudslinging" and treated the remainder as a base, so "mudsling" came into use after the longer form, not before it. The root of the compound is plain. "Mud" is the familiar English word for wet earth, and "sling" comes from a verb meaning to hurl or throw, so "mudslinging" literally describes flinging mud at someone. The image is old and physical, and its figurative use, damaging a rival's reputation by throwing insults at them, grew out of that picture.

Synonyms: insults, slurs, smears