What does "slur" mean?
An insult or slight, especially one that is muttered incoherently under one's breath.
Slur
/slɜː/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An insult or slight, especially one that is muttered incoherently under one's breath.
- Grammar: slur is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accent, accent mark, affront, animadversion.
- Useful contrasts: articulent, speaking-skills oriented, articulate.
- Usage evidence: His sexist slur was broadcasted across the country.
How to use "slur"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "slur" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "slur" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "slur" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "slur" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "slur" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accent" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "slur", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An insult or slight, especially one that is muttered incoherently under one's breath.
"It seems that according to their best guess, our mother's ^([sic]) drank too much coffee or alcohol, took drugs, or were under stress during the period of our conception. Underlying all this speculation is, of course, the big slur: we're some kind of unnatural or abnormal product, outside of humanity and their religions."
- 2 a blemish made by dirt wordnet
- 3 An insult or slight, especially one that is muttered incoherently under one's breath.; An extremely offensive and socially unacceptable term targeted at a group of people (such as an ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.).
"In interviews, current and former students of color described an environment rife with racial insensitivity, including casual uses of slurs."
- 4 a disparaging remark wordnet
- 5 A mark of dishonour; a blight or stain.
"a slur on one's reputation"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 (music) a curved line spanning notes that are to be played legato wordnet
- 7 An act of running one's words together; poor verbal articulation.
"And now I'm drinking too much, so I'ma talk with a slur"
- 8 Any instance of separate things gradually blending together, such as heartbeats in some medical disorders.
- 9 A set of notes that are played legato, without separate articulation.
- 10 The symbol indicating a legato passage, written as an arc over the slurred notes (not to be confused with a tie).
Verb
- 1 To insult or slight.
"And how men slur him, saying all his force / Is melted into mere effeminacy?"
- 2 become vague or indistinct wordnet
- 3 To run together; to articulate poorly.
"to slur syllables; He slurs his speech when he is drunk."
- 4 utter indistinctly wordnet
- 5 To play legato or without separate articulation; to connect (notes) smoothly.
"Notes , the stems of which are joined together by cross lines, as in united quavers , semiquavers , & c . or notes over the heads of which a curve is drawn, to signify that they are to be slurred"
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 speak disparagingly of; e.g., make a racial slur wordnet
- 7 To soil; to sully; to contaminate; to disgrace.
"they do not only impudently slur the gospel, according to the history and the letter, in making it no better than a romantical legend[…]"
- 8 play smoothly or legato wordnet
- 9 To cover over; to disguise; to conceal; to pass over lightly or with little notice.
"With periods, points, and tropes, he slurs his crimes."
- 10 To cheat, as by sliding a die; to trick.
"to slur men of what they fought for"
- 11 To blur or double, as an impression from type; to mackle. dated
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"His sexist slur was broadcasted across the country."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "slur"?
Common synonyms include: accent, accent mark, affront, animadversion, asperse, aspersion.
How do you use "slur" in a sentence?
His sexist slur was broadcasted across the country.
How do you pronounce "slur"?
Pronounced /slɜː/.
Etymology
From Middle English sloor (“thin or fluid mud”). Cognate with Middle Low German sluren (“to trail in mud”). Also related to dialectal Norwegian sløra (“to be careless, to scamp, dawdle”), Danish sløre (“to wobble, be loose”) (especially for wheels); compare Old Norse slóðra (“to drag oneself along”). * (an extremely offensive term): Influenced by various compounds of sense 1 such as racial slur, ethnic slur, etc.