character assassination

A deliberate attempt to destroy the reputation of a public figure by releasing, revealing, or creating defamatory or damaging information about them. The so-called expose on the senator is character assassination, pure and simple. Releasing those decades-old photos this late in the campaign amounts to character assassination—and it will probably work. The actress is suing the tabloid for character assassination after they published an awfully tawdry story that also just so happened to be untrue.

See also: character

character is destiny

proverb One's future is shaped and determined by one's own decisions, actions, behavior, and moral integrity. The phrase is attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. You may think your repugnant actions will have no bearing on you in the future, but character is destiny, and you'll never find success or happiness living your life this way. I don't believe that character is destiny. I always hold out hope for my students, especially the troublemakers. Character is destiny. Work hard in your youth and you will reap wonderful benefits.

in character

1. Very typical of the way someone would normally speak or behave. I've come to realize that the selfishness and nasty comments are all pretty in character for him. A: "The last time I saw her, she was trying to hook up with Janet's boyfriend." B: "Yeah, that sounds in character, all right." Mary Anne is really outgoing, so, yeah, it's in character for her to get up and do karaoke.

2. Consistent with the traits or characteristics assigned to the character that one plays, as in a film or play. Don't be afraid, sweetie. Daddy's just in character—he's pretending to be a bad man for his movie! As part of his method acting, he remained in character for the full nine months of filming. I really appreciated that you didn't stay in character the whole time. You would walk around and chat with everyone on set, no matter how "unimportant."

See also: character

original character

The initial and/or intended meaning or state of something, especially if it has changed over time. Please be sure to keep the original character of the statement you are paraphrasing. I have to translate this story, and I have no idea if I'm capturing its original character. The renovations were done in keeping with the original character of the building.

See also: character

out of character

1. Very unlike the way someone would normally speak or behave; uncharacteristic. That outburst was certainly out of character. Tom is usually very happy and laid back. I had no idea her grades were getting so low—that's so out of character for Jane.

2. Inconsistent with the traits or characteristics assigned to the character that one plays, as in a film or play. She is a consummate professional. She didn't even go out of character when a part of the set collapsed halfway through the scene. You're playing an 18th-century princess—saying "totally awesome" is a bit out of character, don't you think?

See also: character, of, out

pitch character

1. The emotional impact, shape, or dynamic that a particular musical pitch provides. The subtle change in the pitch character changes the piece from one of hopefulness and peace to one of hesitation and sadness.

2. A fictional character, especially a cartoon person or animal, used to sell a product or say a particular line in an advertisement. The '80s saw the introduction of dozens of cheap pitch characters disguised regular cartoons telling kids to buy all sorts of breakfast cereal and plastic junk. Some of the most widely recognized cartoons started life as pitch characters for everything from cleaning products to cigarettes.

saintly black character

In film and literature, a stock black character who exists solely to aid white characters, often through the use of magical powers or mystical intuition. Also known as the "Magical Negro." "The Green Mile" is often cited as a film that perpetuates the saintly black character trope.

shady character

A dubious, suspicious, or potentially immoral or unlawful person. The security guard caught a shady character hanging around the back entrance to the warehouse. I've always thought he was a bit of a shady character, so I was a bit nervous when Janet said she was going to work for him.

shifty-looking

Having or of an untrustworthy, dubious, or deceptive appearance. There are always a bunch of shifty-looking characters around this part of town at night, so let's not linger! I didn't feel great about the deal when John's shifty-looking business partner came along to sign the papers.

stay in character

To continue exhibiting the traits and characteristics assigned to the character that one plays. As part of his method acting, he remained in character for the full nine months of shooting.

suspicious character

A dubious, suspicious, or potentially immoral or unlawful person. The security guard caught a suspicious character hanging around the back entrance to the warehouse. I've always thought he was a bit of a suspicious character, so I was a bit nervous when Janet said she was going to work for him.

character assassination

Fig. seriously harming someone's reputation. The review was more than a negative appraisal of his performance. It was total character assassination.

See also: character

in character

Fig. typical of someone's behavior. For Tom to shout that way wasn't at all in character. He's usually quite pleasant. It was quite in character for Sally to walk away angry.

See also: character

out of character

1. unlike one's usual behavior. Ann's remark was quite out of character. It was out of character for Ann to act so stubborn.

2. inappropriate for the character that an actor is playing. Bill went out of character when the audience started giggling. Bill played the part so well that it was hard for him to get out of character after the performance.

See also: character, of, out

shady character

and a suspicious character

Fig. an untrustworthy person; a person who makes people suspicious. There is a suspicious character lurking about in the hallway. Please call the police.

in character

Consistent with someone's general personality or behavior. For example, Her failure to answer the invitation was completely in character. This usage dates from the mid-1700s, as does the antonym, out of character, as in It was out of character for him to refuse the assignment.

See also: character

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ˌin/ˌout of ˈcharacter

(of somebody’s behaviour, etc.) of the kind you would/would not expect from them; characteristic/uncharacteristic: That unpleasant remark she made was quite out of character. ♢ ‘I’m sure it was Bill I saw from the bus. He was arguing with a police officer.’ ‘Well, that’s in character, anyway!’

See also: character, of, out

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

in character

Consistent with someone's general character or behavior: behavior that was totally in character.

See also: character

out of character

Inconsistent with someone's general character or behavior: a response so much out of character that it amazed me.

See also: character, of, out

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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References in classic literature

CHARACTERS. There is, generally speaking, no greater test of an author's skill than his knowledge and presentation of characters.

The Antecedent Action is that part of the characters' experiences which precedes the events of the story.

In such cases, he must generally be judged to have succeeded if he has established an apparent unity, say by mingling the same characters in the two actions, so that readers are not readily conscious of the lack of real structural unity.

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Those relations to the best men, which, at one time, we reckoned the romances of youth, become, in the progress of the character, the most solid enjoyment.

We shall one day see that the most private is the most public energy, that quality atones for quantity, and grandeur of character acts in the dark, and succors them who never saw it.

I do not forgive in my friends the failure to know a fine character and to entertain it with thankful hospitality.

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What, then, are the distinctive characters of the republican form?

The immediate election of the President is to be made by the States in their political characters. The votes allotted to them are in a compound ratio, which considers them partly as distinct and coequal societies, partly as unequal members of the same society.

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Thus in a succession of characters Plato represents the successive stages of morality, beginning with the Athenian gentleman of the olden time, who is followed by the practical man of that day regulating his life by proverbs and saws; to him succeeds the wild generalization of the Sophists, and lastly come the young disciples of the great teacher, who know the sophistical arguments but will not be convinced by them, and desire to go deeper into the nature of things.

Leaving the characters we may now analyze the contents of the Republic, and then proceed to consider (1) The general aspects of this Hellenic ideal of the State, (2) The modern lights in which the thoughts of Plato may be read.

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The laws governing inheritance are quite unknown; no one can say why the same peculiarity in different individuals of the same species, and in individuals of different species, is sometimes inherited and sometimes not so; why the child often reverts in certain characters to its grandfather or grandmother or other much more remote ancestor; why a peculiarity is often transmitted from one sex to both sexes or to one sex alone, more commonly but not exclusively to the like sex.

They believe that every race which breeds true, let the distinctive characters be ever so slight, has had its wild prototype.

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These characters and situations, pleasant or profoundly interesting, which it is good to have [63] come across, are worked out, not in rapid sketches, nor by hazardous epigram, but more securely by patient analysis; and though we have said that Mrs.

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(Not that he objected to acts of petty meanness--he was always ready for THEM.) He looked with hate and loathing on the poverty and downfall of his family, and treated his mother with haughty contempt, although he knew that his whole future depended on her character and reputation.

He had long pondered, too, over his relations with Aglaya, and had persuaded himself that with such a strange, childish, innocent character as hers, things might have ended very differently.

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