vilifies synonym | Thesaurus.com

Main Entry:	vilify
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	criticize very harshly
Synonyms:	abuse, assail, attack, bad-mouth, berate, blister, censure, curse, damn, debase, decry, defame, denigrate, denounce, dig, disparage, dress down, jinx, knock, libel, malign, mistreat, pan, put down, rap, revile, roast, run down, scorch, slam, slander, slur, smear, tear down, traduce, vituperate, voodoo, asperse, call down*, caluminate, cuss, dump on, give a black eye, mudsling, put a whammy on, rag on, rip up, skin alive, speak ill of, tear into
Antonyms:	compliment, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	abuse
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	attack with words
Synonyms:	backbite, bad-mouth, bash, belittle, berate, calumniate, cap, castigate, cut down, decry, defame, derogate, discount, insult, knock, minimize, nag, offend, oppress, persecute, pick on, put down, reproach, revile, ride, run down, scold, signify, slam, slap, smear, sound, trash, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, zing, blow off*, cuss out, cut to the quick, do a number on, dump on, give a black eye, hurl brickbat, rag on, rip up, sling mud, swear at, tear apart
Notes:	abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it
Antonyms:	acclaim, adulate, approve, commend, compliment, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	assail
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	attack, usually with words
Synonyms:	abuse, assault, bash, berate, beset, blast, blister, bust, charge, come at, criticize, encounter, impugn, invade, lambaste, lay into, malign, maltreat, molest, revile, trash, vilify, have at*, set upon, work over

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	attack
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	assault verbally
Synonyms:	abuse, berate, blame, blitz, censure, criticize, impugn, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, malign, refute, reprove, revile, shoot down*, stretch, vilify
Antonyms:	defend, resist, submit, withstand

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	blacken
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	malign; smear
Synonyms:	attack, bad-mouth, blot, blotch, calumniate, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, dishonor, knock, libel, malign, rip*, slander, slur, smudge, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, traduce, vilify, asperse, do a number on, give a black eye, rip up and down
Antonyms:	compliment, enhance, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	cut up
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	make fun of; criticize
Synonyms:	censure, condemn, crucify, denounce, knock, pan*, rap, reprehend, reprobate, ridicule, skin, vilify, give a rough time

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	decry
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	criticize, blame
Synonyms:	abuse, bad-mouth, belittle, calumniate, censure, condemn, defame, denounce, depreciate, derogate, detract, devalue, diminish, discount, discredit, disgrace, disparage, downgrade, hit, knock, lower, malign, minimize, pan, put down, rap, reprehend, reprobate, run down, slam*, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, write off, asperse, cry down, do a number on, dump on, mark down, opprobriate, poor-mouth, rail against, take away, take swipe at, throw stones at
Antonyms:	applaud, compliment, exalt, laud, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	defame
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	inflict libel or slander
Synonyms:	bad-mouth, belie, besmirch, blacken, blister, calumniate, denigrate, detract, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, knock, malign, pan, roast, scandalize, scorch, slam, smear, stigmatize, traduce, vilify, vituperate, asperse, cast aspersions on, cast slur on, do a number on, put zingers on, speak evil of, throw mud at, villainize
Antonyms:	approve, commend, compliment, exalt, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	denigrate
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	belittle, malign
Synonyms:	besmirch, blacken, blister, calumniate, decry, defame, disparage, impugn, knock, libel, put down, revile, roast, run down, scandalize, slander, tear down*, traduce, vilify, asperse, bad mouth, dis, give black eye, mudsling, rip up
Antonyms:	boost, cherish, compliment, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	denounce
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	condemn, attack
Synonyms:	accuse, adjudicate, arraign, blacklist, blame, boycott, brand, castigate, censure, charge, criticize, damn, declaim, decry, derogate, dress down, excoriate, expose, finger, impeach, implicate, impugn, incriminate, indict, knock, ostracize, proscribe, prosecute, rap, rat, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove, revile, scold, show up, skin*, smear, stigmatize, threaten, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, charge with, denunciate, hang something on, inveigh against, take to task
Antonyms:	approve, commend, compliment, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	depreciate
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	belittle, ridicule
Synonyms:	abuse, attack, calumniate, censure, condemn, contemn, decry, defame, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, deride, derogate, detract, discount, discountenance, discredit, disgrace, disparage, fault, humble, knock, look down on, lower, malign, minimize, put down, rap, revile, roast, run down*, scorn, slam, slander, slight, slur, smear, spurn, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, asperse, clamor against, dispraise, find fault with, scoff at, sneer at, take down a peg
Antonyms:	approve, commend, compliment, exalt, laud, praise, recommend

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	discredit
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	blame, detract from
Synonyms:	blow up, censure, defame, degrade, destroy, disfavor, disgrace, dishonor, disparage, disprove, explode, expose, pooh-pooh, puncture, put down, reproach, ruin, run down, shoot, show up, slander, slur, smear, tear down*, vilify, bring into disrepute, bring to naught, disconsider, disesteem, frown upon, knock bottom out of, mudsling, poke full of holes, reflect on, take rug out from under
Antonyms:	commend, credit, honor, praise

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	disparage
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	criticize; detract from
Synonyms:	abuse, belittle, chill, decry, defame, degrade, deject, demoralize, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, deride, derogate, discourage, discredit, disdain, dishearten, dismiss, lower, malign, minimize, pan, put down, rap, ridicule, roast, run down, scorch, scorn, slam, slander, smear*, sour grapes, tear down, traduce, underestimate, underrate, undervalue, vilify, write off, cry down, dis, dispirit, dispraise, downcry, dump on, put hooks in
Antonyms:	approve, commend, compliment, flatter, laud, praise, sanction

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	excoriate
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	denounce, criticize
Synonyms:	attack, berate, blister, castigate, censure, chastise, condemn, flay, lambaste, lash, rebuke, reproach, reprove, revile, scold, scorch, slash, upbraid, vilify, scathe, tear into
Antonyms:	compliment, laud, praise

Main Entry:	execrate
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	hate
Synonyms:	abhor, abominate, censure, condemn, curse, damn, denounce, deplore, despise, detest, excoriate, loathe, objurgate, reprehend, reprobate, reprove, revile, vilify, accurse, anathematize, imprecate
Antonyms:	like, love

Main Entry:	fulminate
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	criticize harshly
Synonyms:	berate, blow up, bluster, castigate, censure, condemn, curse, declaim, denounce, execrate, explode, fume, intimidate, menace, protest, rage, rail, reprobate, thunder, upbraid, vilify, vituperate, animadvert, denunciate, inveigh against, swear at
Antonyms:	compliment, defend, flatter, praise, support

Main Entry:	libel
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	purposefully lie about someone
Synonyms:	bad-mouth, blister, burlesque, calumniate, caricature, crack, defame, denigrate, derogate, knock, malign, mark, revile, roast, scandalize, scorch, sizzle, slur, smear, tear down, traduce, travesty, vilify, asperse, drag name through mud, give a black eye, mark wrong
Antonyms:	tell truth

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	malign
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	slander, defame
Synonyms:	abuse, accuse, backbite, bad-mouth, befoul, besmirch, blacken, calumniate, curse, decry, defile, denigrate, depreciate, derogate, detract, dirty, disparage, harm, injure, insult, misrepresent, pollute, rap, revile, roast, run down, scandalize, slur, smear, soil, spatter, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, tear down, traduce, vilify, vituperate, asperse, bespatter, cast aspersion, mudsling, opprobriate, speak ill of, take a swipe at, villainize
Antonyms:	praise, uphold

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	revile
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	scold
Synonyms:	abuse, admonish, berate, blame, castigate, censure, chide, criticize, denigrate, denounce, disparage, lambaste, lecture, rake over the coals*, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove, scorn, vilify, vituperate, give a talking to, lay down the law, ream, tongue-lash

* = informal/non-formal usage

Main Entry:	run down
Part of Speech:	verb
Definition:	ridicule
Synonyms:	belittle, criticize, decry, defame, denigrate, depreciate, derogate, detract, diminish, disparage, knock*, make fun of, revile, vilify, dispraise, downcry, opprobriate, speak ill of
Antonyms:	praise