Test
Your
Word IQ! Play Now

vilify

[ vil-uh-fahy ]
/ ˈvɪl əˌfaɪ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR vilify ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), vil·i·fied, vil·i·fy·ing.

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

QUIZZES

This Word Of The Day Quiz Is Far From Thersitical
Have you mastered the meaning of phronesis? How about plethoric? Take the quiz on the words from the week of February 17 to 23 to find out.
Question 1 of 7
Lincolnesque
without interest or significance; dull; insipid.
like or characteristic of Abraham Lincoln.
very high or tall; lofty.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words related to vilify

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

Words nearby vilify

vil., vila, vila nova de gaia, vilayet, vile, vilify, vilipend, vill, villa, villa cisneros, villa home

Origin of vilify

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word vīlificāre. See vile, -fy

OTHER WORDS FROM vilify

vil·i·fi·ca·tion, nounvil·i·fi·er, nounvil·i·fy·ing·ly, adverbun·vil·i·fied, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vilify

vilify villainize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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 forms of vilify

vilification (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