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vilify

verb
vil·​i·​fy | \ ˈvi-lÉ™-ËŒfÄ« How to pronounce vilify (audio) \
vilified; vilifying

Definition of vilify

transitive verb

1 : to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame
2 : to lower in estimation or importance
Other Words from vilify Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about vilify

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Other Words from vilify

vilifier \ ˈvi-​lÉ™-​ËŒfÄ«(-​É™)r How to pronounce vilifier (audio) \ noun

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

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.

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

 In 1983 a court in Beijing sentenced her to 17 years in prison on charges of persecuting and vilifying people, including party leaders. — Chris Buckley, BostonGlobe.com, "Nie Yuanzi, whose poster fanned Cultural Revolution, dies at 98," 4 Sep. 2019 In 1983 a court in Beijing sentenced her to 17 years in prison on charges of persecuting and vilifying people, including party leaders. — Chris Buckley, New York Times, "Nie Yuanzi, Whose Poster Fanned the Cultural Revolution, Dies at 98," 3 Sep. 2019 By saying these things, Trump dehumanizes and vilifies his subjects and leaves them fair game for a depraved mass shooter like the one in El Paso who killed 22 people, injured even more and traumatized an entire community. — Rob Schenck, Time, "My Words Led to Violence. Now Trump's Are Too," 6 Aug. 2019 Trump’s tweets about Democratic congresswomen were absurdly crass, but Democrats should be careful about overplaying the race card and vilifying all the president’s supporters, writes John Kass. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "Daywatch: Lightfoot gets early signature legislative wins, police investigating after viral video shows girl’s beating and other things to know to start your day," 25 July 2019 But Democrats say such comments were revolting and needed to be vilified, especially coming from the president. — Dallas News, "Texas GOP Rep. Will Hurd joins Democrats in vote to condemn Trump's tweets as racist," 16 July 2019 What is clear is that sanctions have strangled the Iranian economy and unsettled its domestic politics, increasing the current regime’s incentives to ditch the nuclear deal and vilify Trump. — Adam Weinstein, The New Republic, "It’s Plainly Obvious That Donald Trump Has No Iran Policy," 10 July 2019 Other top Democrats quickly followed suit in connecting the shooting to Trump's history of vilifying immigrants, with several openly calling Trump a white supremacist or a white nationalist. — NBC News, "Beto O'Rourke says El Paso visit shows Trump is 'sick' and 'unfit' for presidency," 11 Aug. 2019 This is a person that really wants to vilify, demonize not only immigrants, but even communities of color. — Joey Morona, cleveland.com, "Trump called ‘the biggest bully,’ his tweets a ‘distraction’ as Squad appears on ‘CBS This Morning’," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vilify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of vilify

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for vilify

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

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More Definitions for vilify

vilify

verb
How to pronounce vilify (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of vilify

formal : to say or write very harsh and critical things about (someone or something)

See the full definition for vilify in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vilify

verb
vil·​i·​fy | \ ˈvi-lÉ™-ËŒfÄ« How to pronounce vilify (audio) \
vilified; vilifying

Kids Definition of vilify

: to speak of harshly and often unfairly The newspaper vilified him for his opinions.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vilify

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with vilify

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for vilify

Spanish Central: Translation of vilify

Nglish: Translation of vilify for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of vilify for Arabic Speakers

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