Antonyms for vilify
ˈvɪl əˌfaɪvil·i·fy

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. vilifyverb

   To say defamatory things about someone or something.

   Synonyms:
   slander, assail, denounce, libel, criticize, decry

2. vilifyverb

   To belittle through speech; to put down.

   Synonyms:
   decry, assail, criticize, slander, denounce, libel

3. vilifyverb

   Synonyms:
   berate

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilify

   Abuse covers all unreasonable or improper use or treatment by word or act. A tenant does not abuse rented property by "reasonable wear," though that may damage the property and injure its sale; he may abuse it by needless defacement or neglect. It is possible to abuse a man without harming him, as when the criminal vituperates the judge; or to harm a man without abusing him, as when the witness tells the truth about the criminal. Defame, malign, rail at, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense. One may be justly reproached. To impose on or to victimize one is to injure him by abusing his confidence. To persecute one is to ill-treat him for opinion's sake, commonly for religious belief; to oppress is generally for political or pecuniary motives. "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy," Deut. xxiv, 14. Misemploy, misuse, and pervert are commonly applied to objects rather than to persons. A dissolute youth misemploys his time, misuses his money and opportunities, harms his associates, perverts his talents, wrongs his parents, ruins himself, abuses every good gift of God.

   Antonyms:
   applaud, benefit, care for, cherish, conserve, consider, eulogize, extol, favor, laud, panegyrize, praise, protect, regard, respect, shield, sustain, tend, uphold, vindicate

   Synonyms:
   abuse, aggrieve, damage, defame, defile, disparage, harm, ill-treat, ill-use, impose on, impose upon, injure, malign, maltreat, misemploy, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pervert, prostitute, rail at, ravish, reproach, revile, ruin, slander, victimize, violate, vituperate, wrong

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilify

   Antonyms:
   purify, refine, exalt, raise, improve, enhance, eulogize, praise, laud, panegyrize, commend

   Synonyms:
   debase, degrade, spoil, deteriorate, mar, defame, traduce, asperse, stigmatize, slander, upbraid, abuse, decry, cheapen

Matched Categories

1. • Abuse

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilify, revile, vituperate, railverb

   spread negative information about

   "The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews"

   Synonyms:
   fulminate, rail, train, vituperate, revile, rail off, inveigh, rail in

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. vilifyverb

   Synonyms:
   malign, revile, vituperate, traduce, calumniate

How to use vilify in a sentence?

1. Anthony Summers:

   One of the things that was hidden was the secret that United States was breaking the Japanese diplomatic code and keeping that secret saved countless lives during the war... but after that, there is no worthy reason for continuing to vilify two honorable men and to allow them to shoulder the responsibility of the death of so many young men. It is an injustice that should be righted. the fact that there have only been two big catastrophes -- one was Pearl Harbor... and the other was 9/11. They are both the same kind of stature and horror in the American memory.

2. Jeffrey Salkin:

   He has taken every opportunity to vilify women, Muslims, Mexicans, immigrants and the disabled.

3. Lance Armstrong:

   I am deeply sorry for many things I have done. However, it is my hope that revealing the truth will lead to a bright, dope-free future for the sport I love, in the rush to vilify Lance, many of the other equally culpable participants have been allowed to escape scrutiny, much less sanction, and many of the anti-doping 'enforcers' have chosen to grandstand at Lance's expense rather than truly search for the truth.

4. Elliot Peters:

   In the rush to vilify Lance, many of the other equally culpable participants have been allowed to escape scrutiny, much less sanction, and many of the anti-doping 'enforcers' have chosen to grandstand at Lance's expense rather than truly search for the truth.

5. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton:

   We cannot, must not vilify police officers. Remember what those officers were doing when they died. They were protecting a peaceful march.

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