Synonyms

reviled

American

[ri-vahyld] / rɪˈvaɪld /

adjective

addressed or spoken of with contemptuous or abusive language.

They have repeatedly bombed civilian targets and conducted mass kidnappings—tactics that have made them one of the most reviled terrorist groups in the world.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of revile.

Other Word Forms

unreviled adjective

Etymology

Origin of reviled

revile ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Take Halle Berry, one of the more famous examples of the post-Oscar slump, winning best actress in 2001 for “Monster’s Ball” before starring in the critically reviled bomb that was 2004’s standalone “Catwoman” film.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

But the MEK was long considered a terrorist group by Washington and enjoys little support inside Iran, where it is reviled for allying with Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the devastating 1980-88 war.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

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 • Dec. 27, 2025

Cops continue to be near-universally reviled, with federal surveys showing that 9 out of 10 Mexicans don’t trust the police.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2025

But whatever Hippasus’s true fate was, there is little doubt that he was reviled by his brothers.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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