污蔑 means 'to slander' or 'to falsely accuse' — it describes the act of making malicious, untrue statements about someone to damage their reputation. The character 污 (wū) literally means 'dirty' or 'polluted', suggesting moral contamination; 蔑 (miè) means 'to despise' or 'to belittle', often with contempt. Together, they convey the idea of deliberately 'soiling' another person's name through baseless, scornful accusations.

This word carries strong negative connotations and is commonly used in formal, legal, or journalistic contexts — for instance, when reporting on defamation cases, political disputes, or public controversies. It implies intentional harm rather than mere misunderstanding or gossip, and is more serious than casual terms like 说坏话 ('to speak ill of someone'). While it can appear in spoken language, it’s most frequent in written or official discourse where credibility and truthfulness are central concerns.