Definition of vilenext
1
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable a vile plot to murder their political enemies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective vile contrast with its synonyms?

The words base and low are common synonyms of vile. While all three words mean "deserving of contempt because of the absence of higher values," vile, the strongest of these words, tends to suggest disgusting depravity or filth.

a vile remark

When can base be used instead of vile?

The words base and vile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, base stresses the ignoble and may suggest cruelty, treachery, greed, or grossness.

base motives

When is low a more appropriate choice than vile?

The meanings of low and vile largely overlap; however, low may connote crafty cunning, vulgarity, or immorality and regularly implies an outraging of one's sense of decency or propriety.

refused to listen to such low talk

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vile The abrupt shift into a more dramatic finale assumes an emotional connection to characters who may not be as outrageously vile as Duncan or Carl but who haven’t escaped the show’s jaundiced eye either. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 24 May 2026 The comment sections beneath those videos were frequently vile. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 May 2026 The land of the southern hemisphere pulled away from this vile impactor, restructuring itself in the northern hemisphere. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026 John Dickinson, one of the wealthiest colonists, warned that the vile East India Company, having devastated India, would start in on America. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for vile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vile
Adjective
  • With some assistance from the bounty hunter Lobo (Jason Momoa), Kara and Ruthye track down Krem and his evil Brigands.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
  • Load was a Number One seller in 1996, and its comelier evil twin, ReLoad, repeated the feat a year and a half later.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2026
Adjective
  • We’re used to nasty, hateful, and sometimes violent things being said about us and even about our family.
    Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 26 June 2026
  • Tarik Skubal was nasty against the Yankees.
    Levi Weaver, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Adjective
  • With one notable exception, everyone over there has nothing but ugly things to say about their main villa counterparts.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Women superheroes have always activated an ugly segment of the internet.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • These monsters—its antitheses—constitute that part of our nature that urges us to be sensible and strong, and that inclines us to see the life drive as trivial, weak, sentimental and immoral.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 June 2026
  • The artist wrote that keeping silent on this kind of behavior is akin to turning a blind eye to immoral behavior.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • Those who have sustained a severe burn or dirty wound should follow up with a booster after five years, according to the CDC.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Down Pennsylvania Avenue, a man in a karate gi, disposable gloves, and dirty white sneakers was hauling a cart by means of a homemade yoke strapped across his shoulders.
    Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • Everyone's favorite hideous ogre and delusional donkey are finally reunited.
    Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
  • This is a hideous colour, the sort that shouldn’t be seen anywhere other than on someone helping kids cross the road near a school.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Adjective
  • Nadi Jabari, 46, was charged with false personation, unlawful use of a blue light and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
  • The indictment, handed up by a federal grand jury in Maryland, charged Bolton with eight counts of unlawful transmission of national defense information as well as 10 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information.
    Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Swift moved on from one Brit to the next, quietly dating actor Joe Alwyn from 2017 to 2023, while the world spent back-to-back cruel summers without Taymerica.
    Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026
  • This is particularly gratifying given the absurd and cruel trolling the young actress received from the toxic corners of internet fandom leading up to the film’s release.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Vile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vile. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

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