Vilify

Pronunciation: /ˈvɪləˌfaɪ/

Definitions of vilify

verb to speak or write about in a disparaging manner; to defame or slander

Example Sentences

A1 People should not vilify others for their mistakes.

A2 The media often vilifies celebrities for their personal choices.

B1 It is unfair to vilify someone without knowing the full story.

B2 The politician was vilified in the press for his controversial statements.

C1 The author was vilified by critics for his latest novel.

C2 The company attempted to vilify their competitors in order to gain market share.

Examples of vilify in a Sentence

formal The journalist sought to vilify the politician's character with false accusations.

informal Don't listen to those rumors, they're just trying to vilify him.

slang The tabloids love to vilify celebrities for the smallest mistakes.

figurative Her words were like daggers, meant to vilify his reputation beyond repair.

Grammatical Forms of vilify

• past tense: vilified
• plural: vilifies
• comparative: more vilified
• superlative: most vilified
• present tense: vilifies
• future tense: will vilify
• perfect tense: has vilified
• continuous tense: is vilifying
• singular: vilify
• positive degree: vilify
• infinitive: to vilify
• gerund: vilifying
• participle: vilified

Origin and Evolution of vilify

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'vilify' originated from the Latin word 'vilis' meaning cheap or worthless, which evolved into the Old French 'vilifier' meaning to lower in worth.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'vilify' has retained its original meaning of defaming or speaking ill of someone or something, but it has also taken on a broader sense of criticizing or disparaging in a more general sense.