She was a prostitute. She worked in a house of ill-repute.
ill repute = bad reputation
She was a prostitute. She worked in a house of ill-repute.
ill repute = bad reputation
We need a person of good repute to be the spokesperson for our product.
repute
'Of ill repute' refers to a bad reputation, and yes, absolutely it can be harmful, regardless of the truth.
It is not a single word, it's a phrase--a euphemism, as in "House of ill repute." It means bad (ill) reputation (repute).