vilify
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to speak ill of; defame; slander.
- Synonyms:
- blacken, asperse, abuse, malign, calumniate, disparage, depreciate
- Antonyms:
- commend
-
Obsolete. to make vile.
verb
-
to revile with abusive or defamatory language; malign
he has been vilified in the tabloid press
-
rare to make vile; debase; degrade
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vilify
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word vīlificāre. See vile, -fy
Explanation
To vilify someone is to spread nasty stories about them, whether true or not. The verb vilify comes from the same root as the word vile and is a negative word if ever there was one! One way to remember the word is to think about how it sounds — like the word villain (which is unrelated and comes from villa). This suggests that when you vilify someone, you make them sound villainous. So avoid spreading vile words that vilify another and make him or her seem like a villain.
Vocabulary lists containing vilify
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Power Suffix: -fy
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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.
That led Judge Perry to retort: “You are significantly undercutting your mea culpa here by standing behind the charges and continuing to vilify these particular defendants.”
From Slate • May 22, 2026
Despite testing positive, another reader scolded, I “continue to vilify vaccine skeptics generally, and … Kennedy specifically. Truly fascinating.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025
“Ricky Cobb was a productive citizen of this community, and we will not let you vilify him,” family attorney Bakari Sellers said at a news conference.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 17, 2024
The movie's intent to vilify the bookstore was a no-go for Barnes & Noble so the Fox Books seen in the movie was filmed in the now-closed 7th Avenue Barney’s department store.
From Salon • Dec. 25, 2023
"Probably some kind of evidence they could use to vilify Tariq," Sloan says.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
