1. (v. t.) To hinder; to impede; to prevent.

2. (v. t.) To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; to arraign; as, to impeach a judge. See Impeachment.

3. (v. t.) Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct.

4. (v. t.) To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper.

5. (n.) Hindrance; impeachment.

accuse allege anathematize anathemize animadvert on arraign article asperse attack belittle blame book bring accusation bring charges bring to book call into question call to account cast aspersions on cast blame upon cast reflection upon censure challenge charge cite complain complain against condemn criminate cry down cry out against cry out on cry shame upon damn declaim decry denounce denunciate deprecate discredit disparage fasten on fasten upon file a claim finger fulminate against hang something on have up implicate imply impugn impute incriminate inculpate indict inform against inform on insinuate inveigh against lay charges lodge a complaint lodge a plaint malign pin on prefer charges press charges pull up put on report reflect upon report reprehend reproach reprobate shake up slander take to task task taunt with tax twit vilify