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
2
as in nasty
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
a vile trick to play on someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
an outfit with a truly vile combination of colors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vile
Cinderella with one vile stepsister would be locked in a zero-sum game.
—
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Other presidents have been partisan; other presidents have exhibited vile behavior.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2026
Wasserman was long presumed to be an mere philanthropic acquaintance of the vile and very well connected Epstein (who died in mysterious circumstances in a NYC jail in 2019), the massive document dump by Donald Trump‘s DOJ in late January revealed a carnal 2003 correspondence with Maxwell.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Aerion was absolutely vile to him.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vile
Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Other presidents have been partisan; other presidents have exhibited vile behavior.
—Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2026
Wasserman was long presumed to be an mere philanthropic acquaintance of the vile and very well connected Epstein (who died in mysterious circumstances in a NYC jail in 2019), the massive document dump by Donald Trump‘s DOJ in late January revealed a carnal 2003 correspondence with Maxwell.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
Aerion was absolutely vile to him.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vile
Adjective
-
Besides, anyone who doesn’t agree with the left is said to be evil, so anything progressives do to destroy, or at least restrain that evil, is justified.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Fifteen years later, her sister Merry faces her family’s dark past with a journalist uncovering the nature of the evil force that undid them.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was the old Magic — the nasty, physical, suffocating defensive team that made every possession feel like work.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Apr. 2026
-
From there, the beef between the two couples runs the gamut from faux-gentile to downright nasty.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An ugly first period added to the initial grimness.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Their pricey homegrown core — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs — combined to go 13-of-42 from the field and an ugly 1-of-13 from deep.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And never mind that this is simply wrong, almost to the point of being immoral.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
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To do so is to be tacitly complicit in what these companies know to be wrong, unethical and immoral.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Prior to that time, a conservative who dared toss the dirty indictment at his or her opponent would face disapproval from all directions, and, of course, condemnation from the legacy media.—
Bob Ehrlich,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Knicks fans have grown accustomed to Hart doing the dirty work throughout the past four postseasons, but this is the first time first-year Knicks head coach Mike Brown has gotten to deploy the do-it-all guard’s versatility in the playoffs.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Car launches are generally ghastly events, and this was way down there with the most hideous… and perhaps gave a clue as to why VW struggles to match its huge European sales success in America.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The hideous prospect of interviewing for jobs even more pointless than this one appears before me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The unlawful taking of any part or accessory affixed to the interior or exterior of a motor vehicle in a manner which would make the item an attachment of the vehicle or necessary for its operation.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Apr. 2026
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Killing people on the high seas, supporting clearly unlawful military operations, and participating in the destruction of civilian infrastructure — while civilians are present — are wrong and un-American.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
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Violating that trust is both cruel and unlawful.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vile. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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