proverb · Source-linked selection
Few people are out of the reach of slander.
Few people are out of the reach of slander.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Almost anyone can become the subject of a harmful false report. The saying recognises vulnerability to slander rather than treating accusation as proof of wrongdoing.
What the words are saying
Being within reach makes malicious talk something that can touch a person regardless of their actual conduct. It can encourage care before repeating a claim and compassion for someone whose reputation is being attacked. The broad wording does not establish how common slander is or show that every criticism is false. A careful reading asks what evidence supports the statement and whether repeating it serves a fair purpose.
Everyday example
Someone declines to repeat an unsupported allegation about a colleague and asks for reliable evidence instead.
When to use it
Use it to encourage caution with damaging claims about another person.
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What it does not mean
Evidence-based criticism is not automatically slander; this explanation does not define legal liability.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1446 · Slander
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English