revile

verb

re·​vile ri-ˈvī(-ə)l 

reviled; reviling

transitive verb

: to subject to verbal abuse : vituperate

He was reviled for his toxic remarks.

intransitive verb

: to use abusive language : rail

revilement

ri-ˈvī(-ə)l-mənt 

noun

reviler noun

Choose the Right Synonym for revile

scold, upbraid, berate, rail, revile, vituperate mean to reproach angrily and abusively.

scold implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper justly or unjustly.

angrily scolding the children

upbraid implies censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds.

upbraided her assistants for poor research

berate suggests prolonged and often abusive scolding.

berated continually by an overbearing boss

rail (at or against) stresses an unrestrained berating.

railed loudly at their insolence

revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred.

an alleged killer reviled in the press

vituperate suggests a violent reviling.

was vituperated for betraying his friends

Examples of revile in a Sentence

Many people reviled him for his callous behavior.

Recent Examples on the Web

But for as much as Kirk was revered on the right, he was reviled on the left, facing pushback for comments disparaging immigrants and transgender people and questioning the qualifications and capabilities of women and Black Americans. — Elena Moore, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026

Anadol’s work was largely reviled by art critics, less for ethical reasons than aesthetic ones. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 1 Sep. 2026

The Houthi rebels have long been backed by Iran and reviled by Saudi Arabia. — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 26 July 2026

For a stock that just debuted a few weeks ago, it's fairly reviled. — Kevin Stankiewicz,alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French reviler to despise, from re- + vil vile

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing revile

• revile as

Rhymes for revile

• argyle
• awhile
• beguile
• compile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• exile
• freestyle
• gentile
• hairstyle
• lifestyle

Kids Definition

revile

verb

re·​vile ri-ˈvī(ə)l 

reviled; reviling

: to speak to or about in an insulting way

revilement

-mənt 

noun

reviler noun