1
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
a vile plot to murder their political enemies
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
an outfit with a truly vile combination of colors
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as in badness
the state or quality of being utterly evil
no one can question the sheer vileness of this act of terrorism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vile
Jamal Michel, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
While he’s gone, Louise really does give it the ol’ college try with Dane, who hurls threats, vile insults, and more threats in her direction.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Humans crash this vile cycle by accidentally eating the eggs excreted by infected foxes or other primary hosts.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
The imitation Punisher logo on Cole’s bullet was no act of flattery, but the most vile of insults.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vile
Adjective
The Imperial City Sewers you’re meant to traverse while learning the basics of the game look hideous and vile.
—Jamal Michel, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
While he’s gone, Louise really does give it the ol’ college try with Dane, who hurls threats, vile insults, and more threats in her direction.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Humans crash this vile cycle by accidentally eating the eggs excreted by infected foxes or other primary hosts.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2025
The imitation Punisher logo on Cole’s bullet was no act of flattery, but the most vile of insults.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vile
Adjective
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Rakshasa’s evil beast fits thematically with the park’s nearby 1976 Demon looping coaster.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
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Evans gives an oversized comedic performance as the church’s charming but evil minister.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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Well, as referenced above, the United States was coming out of a nasty recession tied to the crisis in the mortgage market.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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Depending on a team to string together hits — or even contact — to score multiple runs in an inning against pitchers with nasty stuff is a hard way to win.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The birds' droppings end up on the ground and windows below, creating an ugly scene for staff, branch patrons and passersby walking in the River Market District.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
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Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Researchers also noted the chatbot engaging in other potentially disturbing—though not necessarily immoral—behavior.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2025
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Suggesting that being out of work is immoral, as opposed to the conditions that contribute to people’s ability to work and live, might be a more appropriate source of anxiety.—
Lauren Coulman,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Martin Kove as John Kreese Martin Kove played John Kreese, Johnny's karate mentor, who encourages his students to play dirty and harass Daniel.—
Keith Langston,
People.com,
1 June 2025
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The infant was scheduled to be cremated, according to the release, but the body was accidentally taken to Shreveport with a load of dirty linens.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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There are no save-the-cat redemptions for a man who became famous for torturing, murdering and performing hideous experiments on countless Jews as part of a team of doctors overseeing medical services at Auschwitz-Birkenau.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
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But Eleanor has backed herself into an awful corner, and in some ways, so too has Johansson’s film, which is stuck trying to impart sage wisdom through the lens of a truly hideous (if well-meaning) lie.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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The court concluded that the administration’s unilateral actions without approval by Congress were unlawful.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful.—
Will Matsuda,
New York Times,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
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The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vile. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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