VILIFYING Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

vilifying 1 of 3

noun

as in libel

the making of false statements that damage another's reputation the nonstop vilifying had the effect of making some people sympathetic to the victim

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vilifying

2 of 3

adjective

as in insulting

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Dissimilar Words

vilifying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of vilify

as in libeling

to make untrue and harmful statements about claimed that she had been vilified by the press because of her conservative views

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of vilifying

Verb

The two have fought on the commissioners court dais and now are vilifying one another in their campaigns for the County Judge seat. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026 One need look no further back in history than 20th-century Europe to see what can happen when populations and government officials begin vilifying the Jewish people. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Oct. 2026 Both factors have spent much of 2026 vilifying Volpe’s play, particularly on defense. — Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 By vilifying others, Marx could use moral superiority to legally steal from those who had more. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 Judge Salas told us vilifying judges is eroding trust in the courts. — Heather Abbott, CBS News, 7 June 2026 This riveting two-part docuseries preceded the fictional take seen in The Girl From Plainville, taking an unprejudiced and empathetic approach when exploring the complex case, presenting all the facts without vilifying one individual. — James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026 Facebook ads vilifying or praising various measures. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026 These efforts apparently relied on a mix of sock-puppet accounts across social media platforms, which promoted the spurious claims of vilifying websites. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilifying

Noun

The media’s coverage of the couple was at times critical, and in 2008 the McCanns reached settlements in libel cases brought against British tabloids that alleged they were involved in Madeleine’s disappearance.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
The libel continued this week when, after years and years of Ryan Murphy teasing a return, Disney+ and Hulu announced that a revival of the series is in fact officially on the way.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of libel

Verb

None of this excuses Chris’ malicious behavior, not just toward Carrie but toward her future stepsister, Brooklyn (Rowan Danielle), and the school as a whole, mostly via a fake Instagram account devoted to smearing students and faculty alike.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
Yet what follows is an extended list of ethical sins, with a focus on the sins of abusive speech, such as slandering, slurring, slighting and smearing the reputations of others.

— Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of smearing

Noun

The classmate, Joleene Altum, sued Griffin for emotional distress and invasion of privacy, and Griffin countersued for defamation in a bitter, ongoing legal battle.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Allen denied both women's allegations and filed counterclaims against them in July 2023, accusing his former manager of defamation and other claims and accusing Jane Doe 2 of unlawfully taking his cellphone following their encounter.

— Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of defamation

Verb

Policymakers defend draconian cuts to Medicaid by maligning the work ethic or honesty of low-income women, despite substantial evidence to the contrary.

— Jocelyn Frye, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
Underneath it, the authors of the flyer listed a few dubious talking points maligning immigrants.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of maligning

Noun

This appears in defenses of Macklemore’s conduct and the vilification of the owners.

— Kenneth L. Marcus, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
But its cultural dominance became bound up in a widespread vilification of Drake that curdled online, where the most damning interpretation of anything could quickly become the accepted one.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of vilification

Adjective

Felix points to Trump’s disparaging and false comments against Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, which put a target on the back of many Haitian immigrants.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The irony is that Trump has been more disparaging and dismissive of the military than any other president.

— Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2026

Definition of disparaging

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vilify

vilifying

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“Vilifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilifying. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of vilifying

noun

adjective

verb

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