vilify en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Late Latin vīlificāre (“vilify”). Equivalent to vile + -ify. Compare vilipend.
Meanings
- (transitive) To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.
-
(transitive) To belittle through speech; to put down.
As one of the largest producers of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the country, Monsanto has been vilified by activists who describe GM products as 'frankenfood.'
2016 April 18, Cristina Alesci, “Monsanto CEO frustrated over 'polarized' GMO debate”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 23 May 2025:"Those who deliberately vilify China and sabotage the friendship between our two countries and do damage to our long-term friendship and benefits out of their sectoral or selfish interest will be cast aside in history,” he said. “Their children will be ashamed of mentioning their names."
2021 March 2, Jason Scott, 王晰宁 [Wang Xining], “China Rips Murdoch’s News Corp. for Reports on Pandemic Origins”, in Bloomberg News, archived from the original on 03 Mar 2021:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| vilified | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| vilified | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| vilifying | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| vilifies | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Antonyms
praise · praise · glorify · glorify
Deriveds
vilifiable · vilifyingly · vilifier · vilification
Relateds
Synonyms
chastise · chew out · tosh · read somebody the riot act · give somebody a piece of one's mind · upbraid · unflatter · smirch · scandal · castigate · cannonade · threap · slander · abuse · tarnish · slander · diss · bawl out · tick off · give somebody what-for · slate · tilt · reprove · drag through the mud · blur · rebuke · get at · light into · blast · decry · assail · detract · backbite · speak ill of · calumny · criticize · lampoon · lay into · blot · reproach · vilipend · talk trash · spot · objurgate · shit-talk · blacken · tell off · stab · deprave · stain · disparage · denounce · denounce · lambaste · blame · vituperate · reproach · rate · talk shit · keelhaul · savage · slam · forgab · slag · traduce · villainize · talk shite · trash-talk · vilify · blemish · dispraise · get down · rip into · admonish · eat someone alive · sully · assassinate · put someone on blast · scorch · libel · muddy · inveigh · blame · belibel · libel · cloud · reprimand · depreciate · berisp · wrong · calumniate · charge · excoriate · forspeak · denigrate · animadvert · spatter · defame · derogate · demonize · pooh-pooh · disrepute · lace into · demonize · revile · chide · berate · badmouth · blaze · reprehend · chat shite · torch · scold · bewray · disgrace · monsterize · dress down · tear into · slash · besmear · bash · befoul · denigrate · skewer · get up · criticize · malign · dirty · besmirch · find fault · lash · lecture · rubbish · fulminate · vilify · run down · condemn · deprecate · smear · infamize · berate · discredit · asperse · revile · drag · chat shit · censure · denunciate · foul
Translations (76)
es vilipendiar (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs pohanět (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · pt diminuir (denounce, belittle through speech) · ja 貶す (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs hanět (denounce, belittle through speech) · it vilipendere (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ja 貶める (denounce, belittle through speech) · tr yermek (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · egy d-s-i-A2 (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs pohanět (denounce, belittle through speech) · cs pošpinit (denounce, belittle through speech) · ka გაშავება (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · az pisləmək (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · de schlechtmachen (denounce, belittle through speech) · bg клеветя (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · it denigrare (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · de verleumden (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cmn 醜化 /丑化 (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · tr azarlamak (denounce, belittle through speech) · ka ძაგება (denounce, belittle through speech) · ka გალანძღვა (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ru поноси́ть (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · hu rágalmaz (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ka დამცირება (denounce, belittle through speech) · de verunglimpfen (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · fr diffamer (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · nl kleineren (denounce, belittle through speech) · pt difamar (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs očerňovat (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · de diffamieren (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · mi whakahariharitae (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ja 謗る (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · gl denigrar (denounce, belittle through speech) · ru унижа́ть (denounce, belittle through speech) · fi herjata (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · az yamanlamaq (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs pomlouvat (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ru очерня́ть (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · de heruntermachen (denounce, belittle through speech) · ru опуска́ть (denounce, belittle through speech) · cs hanět (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · fi panetella (denounce, belittle through speech) · bg очерням (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · gl denigrar (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · nl verguizen (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · az qaralamaq (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · pt vilificar (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · fr vilipender (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs ponížit (denounce, belittle through speech) · gl deostar (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ka ძაგება (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · mi whakataraweti (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs urazit (denounce, belittle through speech) · cs očernit (denounce, belittle through speech) · gd càin (denounce, belittle through speech) · fi parjata (denounce, belittle through speech) · grc κακηγορέω (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · fr dénigrer (denounce, belittle through speech) · fi puhua pahaa (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · ro denigra (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · pt vilipendiar (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · de herabwürdigen (denounce, belittle through speech) · pl potępiać (denounce, belittle through speech) · cs ponižovat (denounce, belittle through speech) · pl oczerniać (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · de verteufeln (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · fr vilipender (denounce, belittle through speech) · cs očernit (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs špinit (denounce, belittle through speech) · pt difamar (denounce, belittle through speech) · cmn 詆毀 /诋毁 (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs pomluvit (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · mi whakahariharitae (denounce, belittle through speech) · gd càin (say defamatory things about; to speak ill of) · cs urážet (denounce, belittle through speech) · de herunterputzen (denounce, belittle through speech)