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definitions

vilify

[ vil-uh-fahy ]
/ ˈvɪl əˌfaɪ /
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verb (used with object), vil·i·fied, vil·i·fy·ing.

to speak ill of; defame; slander.
Obsolete. to make vile.

RELATED WORDS

obloquy, aspersion, defamation, smear, detraction, denigration, slander, lying, scandal, calumniation, traducement, calumny, vituperation, malicious

Nearby words

  1. vila,
  2. vila nova de gaia,
  3. vilayet,
  4. vile,
  5. vilely,
  6. vilipend,
  7. vill,
  8. villa,
  9. villa cisneros,
  10. villa home

Origin of vilify

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word vīlificāre. See vile, -fy
ANTONYMS FOR vilify
1. commend.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR vilify ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsvil·i·fi·ca·tion, nounvil·i·fi·er, nounvil·i·fy·ing·ly, adverbun·vil·i·fied, adjective
Can be confusedvilify villainize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vilification

British Dictionary definitions for vilification

vilify

/ (ˈvɪlɪˌfaɪ) /

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)

to revile with abusive or defamatory language; malignhe has been vilified in the tabloid press
rare to make vile; debase; degrade
Derived Formsvilification (ˌvɪlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən), nounvilifier, noun

Word Origin for vilify

C15: from Late Latin vīlificāre, from Latin vīlis worthless + facere to make
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
Word Origin and History for vilification

vilify

v.

mid-15c., "to lower in worth or value," from Late Latin vilificare "to make cheap or base," from Latin vilis "cheap, base" (see vile) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Meaning "to slander, speak evil of" is first recorded 1590s. Related: Vilified, vilifying.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper