vilify

verb

vil·​i·​fy ˈvi-lə-ˌfī How to pronounce vilify (audio)
vilified; vilifying

transitive verb

1
: to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame
2
: to lower in estimation or importance
vilifier noun

Did you know?

Vilify came to English by way of the Middle English vilifien and the Late Latin vilificare, from the Latin adjective vilis, meaning "cheap" or "vile." It first appeared in English in the 15th century. Also debuting during that time was another verb that derives from vilis and has a similar meaning: vilipend. When they were first used in English, both vilify and vilipend meant to regard someone or something as being of little worth or importance. Vilipend now carries an additional meaning of "to express a low opinion of somebody," while vilify means, more specifically, to express such an opinion publicly in a way that intends to embarrass a person or ruin his or her reputation.

Choose the Right Synonym for vilify

malign, traduce, asperse, vilify, calumniate, defame, slander mean to injure by speaking ill of.

malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying.

the most maligned monarch in British history

traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.

so traduced the governor that he was driven from office

asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction.

both candidates aspersed the other's motives

vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse.

no criminal was more vilified in the press

calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions.

falsely calumniated as a traitor

defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name.

sued them for defaming her reputation

slander stresses the suffering of the victim.

town gossips slandered their good name

Examples of vilify in a Sentence

He was vilified in the press for his comments. claimed that she had been vilified by the press because of her conservative views
Recent Examples on the Web Not worse, or in a vilifying way, but just in a human way. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2024 That vilified a large number of people who worked legally in the community of Springfield. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2024 In some quarters of our society, there seems to be an eagerness to vilify great—though humanly imperfect—historical figures who have long represented praiseworthy contributions to our nation’s success. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024 Carreira is not interested in vilifying individuals but in teasing out the inhumanity of working conditions that grind people down little by little. Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vilify 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vilify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vilifien, from Late Latin vilificare, from Latin vilis cheap, vile

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of vilify was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near vilify

Cite this Entry

“Vilify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vilify. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

vilify

verb
vil·​i·​fy ˈvil-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce vilify (audio)
vilified; vilifying
: to speak of as wicked
vilification
ˌvil-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
noun
vilifier noun

More from Merriam-Webster on vilify

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