traduce vs asperse

traduce and asperse both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
traduce	No	No	Yes	No
asperse	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, asperse is a hypernym of traduce; that is, asperse is a word with a broader meaning than traduce:

traduce: speak unfavorably about
asperse: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

Other hypernyms of traduce include besmirch, calumniate, defame, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch, sully.

traduce (verb)	asperse (verb)
speak unfavorably about	charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone