To speak badly of or tell lies about someone so as to damage their reputation. To expose someone to shame or blame by false accusations.
From Latin 'traducere' where 'trans-' (across, beyond) + 'ducere' (to lead) originally meant 'to lead across' but evolved to mean 'to lead across into disgrace.' The word entered English in the 16th century, carrying the sense of leading someone's reputation across the line into dishonor.
To 'traduce' someone is to 'lead them across' the boundary from honor into shame! This word shows how the same root that gives us positive 'educate' (leading out knowledge) can create something destructive. Both involve leading, but in completely opposite moral directions.
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