Standard Lemma guide

vilify

verb · 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.

  • /ˈvɪl.ɪ.faɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: V IH1 L IH0 F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abuse, assail, criticize, decry, denigrate, demonize, denounce, libel, revile, slander, run down, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul, belibel, besmirch, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, defame, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, scandal, shit-talk, slag, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, sully, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilify, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: glorify, praise

2

verb

Meaning 2

To belittle through speech; to put down.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: berate, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, slash, lash, blame, scorch, blast, berisp, castigate, censure, charge, chastise, chew out, chide, condemn, criticize, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, derogate, dispraise, drag, dress down, eat someone alive, excoriate, find fault, fulminate, get at, get down, get up, give somebody a piece of one's mind, give somebody what-for, inveigh, lace into, lambaste, lay into, lecture, light into, objurgate, pooh-pooh, put someone on blast, rate, read somebody the riot act, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, rip into, rubbish, savage, scold, skewer, slam, slate, tear into, tell off, threap, tick off, tosh, keelhaul, upbraid, vilify, vituperate

Antonyms: glorify, praise

3

verb

Meaning 3

spread negative information about

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: revile, vituperate, rail

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abuse, clapperclaw, blackguard, shout

History

Etymology

From Late Latin vīlificāre (“vilify”). Equivalent to vile + -ify. Compare vilipend.

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: pisləmək — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Azerbaijani: yamanlamaq — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Azerbaijani: qaralamaq — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Bulgarian: клеветя (klevetja) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Bulgarian: очерням (očernjam) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 詆毀 /诋毁 (dǐhuǐ) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Chinese Mandarin: 醜化 /丑化 (chǒuhuà) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: pomluvit — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: pomlouvat — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: hanět — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: pohanět — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: očernit — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: očerňovat — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Dutch: verguizen — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Egyptian: d-s-i-A2 (dsj) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Finnish: puhua pahaa — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Finnish: herjata — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • French: diffamer — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • French: vilipender — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Galician: deostar — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Galician: denigrar — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Georgian: გაშავება (gašaveba) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Georgian: გალანძღვა (galanʒɣva) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Georgian: ძაგება (ʒageba) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • German: diffamieren — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • German: verleumden — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • German: verunglimpfen — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • German: verteufeln — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Ancient Greek: κακηγορέω (kakēgoréō) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Hungarian: rágalmaz — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Italian: denigrare — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Italian: vilipendere — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Japanese: 貶す (kenasu) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Japanese: 謗る (soshiru) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Māori: whakahariharitae — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Māori: whakataraweti — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Polish: oczerniać — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Portuguese: vilificar — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Portuguese: vilipendiar — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Portuguese: difamar — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Romanian: denigra — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Russian: очерня́ть (očernjátʹ) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Russian: поноси́ть (ponosítʹ) — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Scottish Gaelic: càin — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Spanish: vilipendiar — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Turkish: yermek — say defamatory things about; to speak ill of
  • Czech: urazit — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: ponížit — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: hanět — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: špinit — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: pošpinit — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: ponižovat — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: urážet — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: pohanět — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Czech: očernit — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Dutch: kleineren — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Finnish: panetella — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Finnish: parjata — denounce, belittle through speech
  • French: dénigrer — denounce, belittle through speech
  • French: vilipender — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Galician: denigrar — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Georgian: დამცირება (damcireba) — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Georgian: ძაგება (ʒageba) — denounce, belittle through speech
  • German: herabwürdigen — denounce, belittle through speech
  • German: heruntermachen — denounce, belittle through speech
  • German: schlechtmachen — denounce, belittle through speech
  • German: herunterputzen — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Japanese: 貶める (otoshimeru) — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Māori: whakahariharitae — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Polish: potępiać — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Portuguese: difamar — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Portuguese: diminuir — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Russian: унижа́ть (unižátʹ) — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Russian: опуска́ть (opuskátʹ) — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Scottish Gaelic: càin — denounce, belittle through speech
  • Turkish: azarlamak — denounce, belittle through speech