δυσφημία
dysphēmía
G1426 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Utterance or expression that damages reputation; slander, calumny, or the act of making harmful, disparaging statements about a person or group. In some contexts, it extends to the dissemination of an evil report or false accusation, encompassing both the content (defamatory speech) and the act itself. While primarily focusing on injury to reputation, it can also refer to a general abuse of speech intended to disgrace or defame.
Semantic Range
slander, defamation, calumny, verbal abuse, evil report, abusive speech, false accusation
Root / Etymology
From the compound of δυσ- (dus-, 'bad, ill') and φήμη (phēmē, 'speech, report, fame, utterance'); literally 'bad fame' or 'ill report'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, δυσφημία appears rarely and generally denotes defamation or calumny directed toward a person, paralleling the more common βλασφημία ('blasphemy' or 'defamation, often of the divine'). By the Hellenistic and Koine periods, δυσφημία typically refers to verbal attacks against a person's reputation—intentional harm through false or disparaging reports. In the Septuagint and New Testament, the term is used to describe slanderous or abusive speech (cf. Colossians 3:8), frequently listed alongside other types of antisocial or sinful speech. English translations often render it as 'slander,' 'abusive speech,' or 'evil report,' though 'slander' best captures the nuance of intentional harm to reputation. It is less common than βλασφημία, which typically refers to irreverence toward the divine rather than human subjects. While δυσφημία is rarely attested outside the biblical corpus in Koine literature, where it does occur, it focuses specifically on interpersonal defamation rather than sacred or official blasphemy.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of δυσ- and φήμη; defamation:--evil report.
Root Family
δυσφημ- (dysphēmía) — to defame, to speak ill, to slander
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1426-01 |
δυσφημίας | dusphemias | N GEN F SG |
evil report | of slander | of slander | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1426-01 |
2 Corinthians 6:8 | δυσφημίας | dusphemias | N GEN F SG |
evil report | of slander | of slander |