vilify

English

WOTD – 27 February 2007

Etymology

From Late Latin vīlificāre, present active infinitive of vīlificō (“vilify”),

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɪl.ɪ.faɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

vilify (third-person singular simple present vilif, present participle ies, simple past and past participle vilified)

1. (transitive) To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.

   Synonyms: abuse, assail, criticize, decry, denigrate, demonize, denounce, libel, revile, slander, run down; see also Thesaurus:defame

   Antonyms: glorify, praise

2. (transitive) To belittle through speech; to put down.

   Synonyms: berate; see also Thesaurus:criticize

   Antonyms: glorify, praise

Derived terms

• vilification
• vilifiable
• vilifier

Related terms

• vile

Translations

say defamatory things about; to speak ill of

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 詆毀／诋毁 (zh) (dǐhuǐ), 诋毁 (zh) (dǐhuǐ), 醜化／丑化 (zh) (chǒuhuà), 丑化 (zh) (chǒuhuà)

• Czech: pomluvit (cs) pf, pomlouvat (cs) impf, hanět (cs) impf, pohanět (cs) pf, očernit pf
• Dutch: verguizen (nl)
• Egyptian: (dsj)
• French: diffamer (fr), vilipender (fr)
• Galician: deostar, denigrar (gl)
• Georgian: გაშავება (gašaveba), გალანძღვა (galanʒɣva), ძაგება (ʒageba)
• German: diffamieren (de), verleumden (de), verunglimpfen (de), verteufeln (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: κακηγορέω (kakēgoréō)

• Hungarian: rágalmaz (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: denigrare (it), vilipendere (it)
• Japanese: 貶す (kenasu), 謗る (soshiru)
• Maori: whakahariharitae
• Polish: oczerniać (pl)
• Portuguese: vilificar, vilipendiar (pt), difamar (pt)
• Romanian: denigra (ro)
• Russian: очерня́ть (ru) (očernjátʹ), поноси́ть (ru) (ponosítʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: càin
• Spanish: vilipendiar (es)

denounce, belittle through speech

• Czech: urazit (cs) pf, ponížit pf, hanět (cs) impf, špinit (cs) impf, pošpinit (cs) pf, ponižovat (cs) impf, urážet impf, pohanět (cs) pf, očernit pf
• Dutch: kleineren (nl)
• Finnish: panetella (fi)
• Galician: denigrar (gl)
• Georgian: დამცირება (damcireba), ძაგება (ʒageba)
• German: herabwürdigen (de), heruntermachen, schlechtmachen (de), herunterputzen
• Japanese: 貶める (otoshimeru)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: whakahariharitae
• Polish: potępiać (pl)
• Portuguese: difamar (pt), diminuir (pt)
• Russian: унижа́ть (ru) (unižátʹ), опуска́ть (ru) (opuskátʹ) (colloquial)
• Scottish Gaelic: càin

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} acusar (es)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}