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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.

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an ancient Greek or Roman farce that depended for effect largely upon ludicrous actions and gestures.
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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

Words related to vilify

revile, decry, smear, denounce, defame, berate, malign, damn, denigrate, mistreat, assail, disparage, slander, blister, knock, cuss, curse, debase, jinx, slur

Example sentences from the Web for vilify

British Dictionary definitions for vilify

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