Synonyms for vilify
ˈvɪl əˌfaɪvil·i·fy

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. vilifyverb

   To say defamatory things about someone or something.

   Synonyms:
   slander, assail, denounce, libel, criticize, decry

2. vilifyverb

   To belittle through speech; to put down.

   Synonyms:
   decry, assail, criticize, slander, denounce, libel

3. vilifyverb

   Synonyms:
   berate

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilify

   Abuse covers all unreasonable or improper use or treatment by word or act. A tenant does not abuse rented property by "reasonable wear," though that may damage the property and injure its sale; he may abuse it by needless defacement or neglect. It is possible to abuse a man without harming him, as when the criminal vituperates the judge; or to harm a man without abusing him, as when the witness tells the truth about the criminal. Defame, malign, rail at, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense. One may be justly reproached. To impose on or to victimize one is to injure him by abusing his confidence. To persecute one is to ill-treat him for opinion's sake, commonly for religious belief; to oppress is generally for political or pecuniary motives. "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy," Deut. xxiv, 14. Misemploy, misuse, and pervert are commonly applied to objects rather than to persons. A dissolute youth misemploys his time, misuses his money and opportunities, harms his associates, perverts his talents, wrongs his parents, ruins himself, abuses every good gift of God.

   Synonyms:
   abuse, aggrieve, damage, defame, defile, disparage, harm, ill-treat, ill-use, impose on, impose upon, injure, malign, maltreat, misemploy, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pervert, prostitute, rail at, ravish, reproach, revile, ruin, slander, victimize, violate, vituperate, wrong

   Antonyms:
   applaud, benefit, care for, cherish, conserve, consider, eulogize, extol, favor, laud, panegyrize, praise, protect, regard, respect, shield, sustain, tend, uphold, vindicate

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilify

   Synonyms:
   debase, degrade, spoil, deteriorate, mar, defame, traduce, asperse, stigmatize, slander, upbraid, abuse, decry, cheapen

   Antonyms:
   purify, refine, exalt, raise, improve, enhance, eulogize, praise, laud, panegyrize, commend

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilify, revile, vituperate, railverb

   spread negative information about

   "The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews"

   Synonyms:
   fulminate, rail, train, vituperate, revile, rail off, inveigh, rail in

Matched Categories

1. • Abuse

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. vilifyverb

   Synonyms:
   defame, traduce, revile, asperse, calumniate, scandalize, malign, reproach, abuse, blacken, blemish, slur, vituperate, backbite, lampoon, disparage, upbraid, berate, run down, speak ill of, accuse falsely, damn with faint praise

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilifyverb

   Synonyms:
   malign, revile, vituperate, traduce, calumniate

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "vilify":

   demonize, denigrate, defame

How to pronounce vilify?

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use vilify in a sentence?

1. Lance Armstrong:

   I am deeply sorry for many things I have done. However, it is my hope that revealing the truth will lead to a bright, dope-free future for the sport I love, in the rush to vilify Lance, many of the other equally culpable participants have been allowed to escape scrutiny, much less sanction, and many of the anti-doping 'enforcers' have chosen to grandstand at Lance's expense rather than truly search for the truth.

2. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull:

   This appears to have been an act of politically motivated violence, so, at this stage, it appears to have been an act of terrorism, we must not vilify or blame the entire Muslim community for the actions of what is, in truth, a very, very small percentage of violent extremist individuals.

3. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton:

   We cannot, must not vilify police officers. Remember what those officers were doing when they died. They were protecting a peaceful march.

4. Chris Taylor:

   It’s disgusting and appalling that right-wing outlets giddily help the NRCC and Washington Republicans push racist attacks to vilify our Black - and only Black - staff, and endanger their personal safety, but we’re not surprised they’re hellbent on division – that’s their playbook.

5. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:

   You know this is part of a pattern that the right and the far-right and, frankly, the President is consistent with, he doesn't have another woman, Hillary Clinton or whoever else, to vilify anymore so they need to find another woman to kind of prop up and become a lightning rod.