1.
[syn: vilify, revile, vituperate, rail]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Vilify \Vil"i*fy\ (v[i^]l"[i^]*f[imac]), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Vilified; p. pr. & vb. n. Vilifying.] [L. vilis vile +
-fy; cf. L. vilificare to esteem of little value.]
1. To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to disgrace. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
When themselves they vilified
To serve ungoverned appetite. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. To degrade or debase by report; to defame; to traduce; to
calumniate. --I. Taylor.
[1913 Webster]
Many passions dispose us to depress and vilify the
merit of one rising in the esteem of mankind.
--Addison.
[1913 Webster]
3. To treat as vile; to despise. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
I do vilify your censure. --Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
vilify
v 1: spread negative information about; "The Nazi propaganda
vilified the Jews" [syn: vilify, revile, vituperate,
rail]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
81 Moby Thesaurus words for "vilify":
abuse, asperse, assail, attaint, bad-mouth, bark at, berate,
besmirch, bespatter, betongue, blacken, blackguard, blaspheme,
blot, blow upon, brand, call names, calumniate, censure, curse,
cuss out, damn, debase, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, denounce,
deprecate, depreciate, devalue, diminish, disapprove, disparage,
engage in personalities, epithet, epithetize, execrate, expose,
expose to infamy, fulminate against, gibbet, hang in effigy,
heap dirt upon, jaw, libel, load with reproaches, malign, mistreat,
misuse, muckrake, outrage, pillory, rag, rail at, rate,
rave against, reprimand, revile, run down, slander, slur, smear,
smirch, soil, speak ill of, stain, stigmatize, sully, swear,
swear at, taint, tarnish, tear down, throw mud at, thunder against,
tongue-lash, traduce, vituperate, yell at, yelp at