Standard Lemma guide

vilification

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: V IH2 L AH0 F AH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

slanderous or malicious defamation; character assassination

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse
  • they yelled insults at the visiting team

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abuse, insult, revilement, contumely

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disrespect, discourtesy

Narrower terms: low blow, scurrility, billingsgate, stinger, cut, vituperation, invective, vitriol

3

noun

Meaning 3

slanderous defamation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: smear, malignment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defamation, calumny, calumniation, obloquy, traducement, hatchet job

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: parjaus — 1. slanderous or malicious defamation
  • German: Schmähung — 1. slanderous or malicious defamation
  • German: Verunglimpfung — 1. slanderous or malicious defamation