Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vilify differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vilify are asperse, calumniate, defame, malign, slander, and traduce. While all these words mean "to injure by speaking ill of," vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse.

no criminal was more vilified in the press

Where would asperse be a reasonable alternative to vilify?

The synonyms asperse and vilify are sometimes interchangeable, but asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction.

both candidates aspersed the other's motives

When is calumniate a more appropriate choice than vilify?

While the synonyms calumniate and vilify are close in meaning, calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions.

falsely calumniated as a traitor

When would defame be a good substitute for vilify?

Although the words defame and vilify have much in common, defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name.

sued them for defaming her reputation

When could malign be used to replace vilify?

The words malign and vilify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying.

the most maligned monarch in British history

When might slander be a better fit than vilify?

The meanings of slander and vilify largely overlap; however, slander stresses the suffering of the victim.

town gossips slandered their good name

When can traduce be used instead of vilify?

While in some cases nearly identical to vilify, traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.

so traduced the governor that he was driven from office

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vilify But rather than vilifying or muzzling proxy advisors, a few simple changes could make the proxy process more open, fair, and thoughtful. Sarah Keohane Williamson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025 Israel is not merely charged with war crimes — it is vilified as a genocidal regime, guilty of starving and killing civilians en masse. Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025 Instead of vilifying unions, the state should work with them to address the real challenges facing educators. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Aug. 2025 Fast forward to today—on the heels of a decades-long conservative family values movement—and that very same clinic is now being vilified by conservative religious leaders. Time, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vilify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilify
Verb
  • In 2022, Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over both trials, decided The Times was not liable for defamation while jurors were deliberating, that the error amounted to unfortunate editorializing but not libel.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • As a new, inexpensive Chevrolet appeared in 1927 and The Dearborn Independent was sued for libeling a number of Jewish businessmen, Ford threw in the towel and apologized.
    George Pendle, airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Rubbing will smear the mud and cause a bigger problem.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Jason’s windshield was smeared, and the late-afternoon sunlight came through hazily.
    Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Inter Miami, clearly humiliated, let out its frustrations after the final whistle, when several Miami players, led by Luis Suarez, got into a scuffle with Seattle players.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
  • These violations, perpetrated primarily against Ukrainian prisoners of war, include genital violence such as electrocution, beatings and burns to the genitals, and forced stripping and prolonged nudity, used to humiliate and elicit confessions or information.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Eventually, however, Lowell’s ideas were discredited—Schiaparelli, once an ally, renounced them—and the world moved on.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025
  • By the end of the year, the cold fusion bubble had burst, the technology was discredited, and the concept relegated to bad spy fiction and conspiracy theories.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Southern Baptist Convention and an independent investigator are not liable for defaming a former SBC president in a historic report on abuse in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, a federal judge ruled Monday.
    Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Those found guilty of criticizing, insulting, defaming or threatening the king, queen, or heir apparent can be jailed for between three and 15 years for each count, with some sentences stretching to 50 years.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vilify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilify. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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