vilify means to say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of. It carries an Arena rating of 1620, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, vilify ranks #1,866 of 13,498 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,028 of 13,498 for Most Malleable Words, #2,760 of 13,498 for Most Elegant Words, #3,088 of 13,498 for Scariest Words.
vilify is pronounced /ˈvɪl.ɪ.faɪ/.
Why “vilify” is a great word
To make someone or something seem utterly base or worthless through harsh, abusive speech. From Late Latin vīlificāre ('to make cheap or base'), from Latin vīlis ('cheap, base') + -ficāre (a combining form meaning 'to make'); first attested in English c. 1500. Unlike 'criticize,' which can imply a measured finding of fault, or 'malign,' which often works through sly insinuation, to vilify is a public and corrosive assault. It is the politician's frenzied diatribe twisting policy into treason, the tabloid's screaming headline reducing a life to caricature, the mob's chant that turns a name into an epithet—a ritual not of correction, but of annihilation, where words perform the alchemy of turning a soul into a cheap thing.
Etymology
From Late Latin vīlificāre (“vilify”). Equivalent to vile + -ify. Compare vilipend.
verb
- To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.
- To belittle through speech; to put down.“As one of the largest producers of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the country, Monsanto has been vilified by activists who describe GM products as 'frankenfood.'”
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