scurrilous
definition
making scandalous claims about someone with the intent to harm their reputation
example
The politician's career was nearly ruined by a series of scurrilous attacks from his opponents during the campaign.
synonyms
slanderousdefamatorylibelous
word origin — from Latin 'scurrilis', meaning 'raucous' or 'scurrilous', derived from 'scurrus', meaning ' buffoon' or 'mocker'.