Synonyms

revile

American

[ri-vahyl] / rɪˈvaɪl /

verb (used with object)

reviled, reviling

to assail with contemptuous or opprobrious language; address or speak of abusively.

Synonyms:

disparage, berate, vituperate, vilify, abuse

verb (used without object)

reviled, reviling

to speak abusively.

revile British

/ rɪˈvaɪl /

verb

to use abusive or scornful language against (someone or something)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

revilement noun
reviler noun
revilingly adverb
unreviling adjective

Etymology

Origin of revile

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English revilen, from Middle French reviler; re-, vile

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As Iranian protests grow in size, an unlikely figure is gaining prominence—the son of the country’s reviled shah, who was toppled in the 1979 revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Latin America, few are more reviled than the vendido — the sellout.

From Los Angeles Times

That revelation led to a surge in discontent with a government already under fire for its poor economic performance and its reviled strict moral codes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Memories play a key role — people loved and lost, places missed and reviled.

From Los Angeles Times

Few people who visit Joshua Tree National Park today know that the species was once universally reviled.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023