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vilify

[ vil-uh-fahy ]
/ ˈvɪl əˌfaɪ /
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See synonyms for: vilify / vilified / vilification / vilifier 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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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 [vil-uh-fi-key-shuhn], /ˌvɪl ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən/, 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. 2021

How to use vilify in a sentence

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
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