vilify

verb

vil·​i·​fy ˈvi-lə-ˌfī 

vilified; vilifying

transitive verb

1

: to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame

2

: to lower in estimation or importance

vilifier

ˈvi-lə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Did you know?

It seems reasonable to assume that the words vilify and villain come from the same source; after all, to vilify someone is—in some ways—to make them out to be a villain. Such is not the case, however. Although the origin stories of both vilify and villain involve Latin, their roots are quite different. Vilify came to English (via Middle English and Late Latin) from the Latin adjective vilis, meaning “cheap” or “vile.” Someone who has been vilified, accordingly, has had their reputation tarnished or cheapened in such a way that they’re viewed as morally reprehensible. Villain on the other hand, comes from the Medieval Latin word villanus, meaning “villager,” and ultimately from the Latin noun villa, meaning “house.” The Middle English descendent of villanus developed the meaning of “a person of uncouth mind and manners” due to the vilifying influence of the aristocracy of the time, and the connotations worsened from there until villain came to refer to (among other things), a deliberate scoundrel.

Synonyms

• asperse
• blacken
• calumniate
• defame
• libel
• malign
• slander
• smear
• traduce

Choose the Right Synonym for vilify

malign, traduce, asperse, vilify, calumniate, defame, slander mean to injure by speaking ill of.

malign suggests specific and often subtle misrepresentation but may not always imply deliberate lying.

the most maligned monarch in British history

traduce stresses the resulting ignominy and distress to the victim.

so traduced the governor that he was driven from office

asperse implies continued attack on a reputation often by indirect or insinuated detraction.

both candidates aspersed the other's motives

vilify implies attempting to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse.

no criminal was more vilified in the press

calumniate imputes malice to the speaker and falsity to the assertions.

falsely calumniated as a traitor

defame stresses the actual loss of or injury to one's good name.

sued them for defaming her reputation

slander stresses the suffering of the victim.

town gossips slandered their good name

Examples of vilify in a Sentence

He was vilified in the press for his comments.

claimed that she had been vilified by the press because of her conservative views

Recent Examples on the Web

Fauci, who left the NIH in 2022, became a hero to many during the pandemic, but he has also been vilified by critics of the government's response. —Rob Stein, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025

The Democratic strategy in the Wisconsin race has been to vilify Musk, tying him to Schimel and turning him into a bogeyman who is trying to buy the election and destroy democracy. —Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2025

The critique of contract workers created the ideas of natural and unnatural immigration, so that contract workers, or unnatural immigrants, could be vilified and their exclusion justified through contrast with the opposite category, free and natural immigrants. — Made By History, Time, 26 Mar. 2025

For Goldberg’s troubles, Trump officials like Hegseth responded by vilifying him and disparaging him as a journalist. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vilifien, from Late Latin vilificare, from Latin vilis cheap, vile

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for vilify

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

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Kids Definition

vilify

verb

vil·​i·​fy ˈvil-ə-ˌfī 

vilified; vilifying

: to speak of as wicked

vilification

ˌvil-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun

vilifier

ˈvil-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun