All words

vilify

Meaning

To subject someone or something to abusive or disparaging remarks.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

Even though Mark had done nothing wrong, some people at school tried to vilify him. They spread lies and said hurtful things about him. Their words were not true, but they wanted others to think badly of Mark and stop being his friend.

He was angry he did not get the promotion. He began to vilify his new boss, telling harmful lies and spreading false rumors to coworkers. His abusive, untrue statements were carefully planned to destroy the boss’s reputation and make everyone at the company distrust him.

The politician's opponents began to vilify him during the campaign, spreading lies about his past and calling him corrupt without any evidence. His reputation suffered as the false accusations spread through social media. He knew these attacks were meant to destroy his character, not debate his actual policies.

When Tina found a strange sock in her laundry, she rushed downstairs to vilify her little brother, yelling wild things like, “You sock thief!” and “Destroyer of clean clothes!” She forgot to check her own shoe, where the missing sock was hiding all along.

My cat tries to vilify the new puppy, telling anyone who will listen that the dog is a secret agent sent by squirrels to steal all the good sunny spots. He claims the puppy’s happy tail wags are actually signals to his fuzzy-tailed bosses.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The politician was quick to vilify his opponent during the debate, spreading false accusations and harsh insults in an attempt to damage their reputation.

The villagers gathered around the accused woman, their eyes filled with hate and disgust. They hurled insults and accusations, their words dripping with venom. The crowd's vilifying words cut through the silence, echoing through the town square. The woman stood alone, tears streaming down her face as she listened to the harsh words being spoken against her. She knew there was no hope for justice in this cruel place, where lies and rumors held more power than truth. And as the mob continued to vilify her, she realized that her fate was sealed - condemned by a town blinded by fear and hatred.

In the small village of Willowbrook, the townspeople whispered tales of a mysterious creature that roamed the forest at night. Some claimed it was a vile beast, while others believed it to be a misunderstood guardian. But one villager, known for his cruel words and sharp tongue, took it upon himself to vilify the creature at every opportunity. He spread lies and rumors, painting the creature as a monster to be feared and avoided at all costs. Little did he know, the creature was actually a gentle spirit, watching over the village with kind intentions.

As the traveler ventured through the realm, she stumbled upon a contentious village. The once-beloved King had fallen into disrepute, with villagers vilifying him at every turn. Rumors swirled that he had betrayed the kingdom, but the traveler couldn't shake the feeling that something more sinister was at play.

When someone vilifies another person, they are making false and damaging statements about them in order to harm their reputation. This can involve spreading lies, insults, or other hurtful words in order to defame the person's character. For example, in a school setting, if one student spreads rumors about another student being mean or dishonest, they are vilifying them. This type of behavior can have serious consequences, as it can lead to the person being ostracized or bullied by their peers. It is important to always speak truthfully and respectfully about others, rather than engaging in vilification.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

Even though Maria worked hard for her team, some colleagues chose to vilify her when a project failed. They uttered hurtful and unfair statements against her, blaming her for problems she did not cause, making her feel isolated and misunderstood at work.

During the heated election, the campaign chose to vilify their opponent. They fabricated stories about his personal life and spread cruel lies, hoping to completely destroy his character in the public's eyes before everyone could vote.

The campaign turned ugly when both candidates began to vilify each other on social media, posting false accusations about corruption and criminal behavior. What started as policy disagreements devolved into character attacks designed to destroy reputations. By election day, voters felt disgusted by the constant stream of lies and insults from both sides.

When Oliver accidentally spilled his soup on the mayor’s shoes, the town’s gossip queen did not hesitate to vilify him, declaring over megaphone and muffin alike that he was an undercover chaos agent sent to ruin footwear everywhere. Poor Oliver could hardly show his face—soggy or otherwise.

My neighbor began a bizarre campaign to vilify the garden gnome I’d just purchased. He’d shout over the fence, spreading slanderous lies that the gnome was a notorious biscuit thief and had a “shifty, untrustworthy gaze.” His abusive statements against poor Sherman were utterly baseless.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

Despite her dedication to the project, her colleagues continued to vilify her at every meeting, spreading baseless rumors and making abusive remarks. The constant defamation created a toxic environment, leaving her feeling both isolated and unfairly targeted by those she had once trusted.

The incumbent's campaign strategy was simple: vilify his opponent with a barrage of spurious accusations. They hoped the constant, incendiary attacks would erode public trust and obscure his actual record from the increasingly fractious electorate, ensuring their victory through defamation rather than substantive debate.

The scandal erupted when leaked emails revealed how the senator's campaign staff would vilify their opponent in anonymous posts, spreading false rumors about corruption and extramarital affairs. Their coordinated effort to destroy his reputation through lies backfired spectacularly, costing them the election and several careers.

During the town meeting, Mrs. Pumpernickel rose with dramatic flair to vilify the new ordinance, unleashing a barrage of slanderous and abusive statements against those who dared endorse it, as if the law itself had personally tossed her pet ferret into a vat of marshmallow fluff.

The garrulous parrot, in a fit of pique, began to vilify the family beagle. He would squawk to any visitor that the dog was a pusillanimous mail-thief and, most egregiously, that his prodigious fetching skills were a complete fabrication meant to deceive the entire household.

Difficulty

Advanced — Less frequent words that stretch an upper-level vocabulary.

Appears in

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