transitive verb
-·fied·, -·fy·ing to use abusive or slanderous language about or of; calumniate; revile; defame
Origin of vilify
Ecclesiastical Late Latin vilificare: see vile and -fy
verb
Vilify is defined as to make a comment about a person that makes him look bad.
An example of to vilify is to tell a story about a man which makes him sound like a thief.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"vilify." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify>.
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vilify. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify
vilify
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"vilify." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify>.
APA Style
vilify. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify
vilify
transitive verb
vil·i·fied, vil·i·fy·ing, vil·i·fiesTo attack the reputation of (a person or thing) with strong or abusive criticism. See Synonyms at malign.
Origin of vilify
Middle English vilifien from Late Latin vīlificāre to hold cheap Latin vīlis cheap ; see wes-3 in Indo-European roots.Latin -ficāre -fyRelated Forms:
- vil′i·fi·ca′tion
noun
- vil′i·fi′er
noun
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"vilify." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify>.
APA Style
vilify. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify
Verb
(third-person singular simple present vilifies, present participle vilifying, simple past and past participle vilified)
- To say defamatory things about someone or something.
- To belittle through speech; to put down.
Origin
From Latin vÄ«lificÄre, present active infinitive of vÄ«lificÅ (“villify"),
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"vilify." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 March 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify>.
APA Style
vilify. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Vilify
Sentence Examples
- The angels that resent mans ability to choose, to deny and even to vilify God's gifts, want to destroy this creation in honor of their own creator.
- Why are people so quick to vilify those on the "other side" of the issue—and why do we even think in terms of sides?