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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In a live streamed conversation with Trump, Musk said solar energy could one day source most of earth’s energy but warned against vilifying the oil and gas industries. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024 Carbon Dioxide is often vilified as a bugaboo greenhouse gas. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 Reagan, too, was vilified and feared in his day, seen as the reductio ad absurdum of the culture of the image, an automaton projecting his controllers’ authoritarian impulses. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 Not worse, or in a vilifying way, but just in a human way. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vilify 

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 5 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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