vilified

verb

past tense of vilify
as in libeled
to make untrue and harmful statements about claimed that she had been vilified by the press because of her conservative views

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 vilified Some of this was exacerbated by going to Duke, of course, which has a history of some of its best players being vilified nationwide. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026 But Timothy Leary’s version became the dominant idea of psychedelics, and when President Ronald Reagan’s War on Drugs began, psychedelics were vilified as the gateway to ruin. — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 But the backlash against pandemic responses, including vaccine mandates, led to the vaccines and mRNA technology being vilified by some and becoming the focus of widespread misinformation. — Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026 Durant was vilified for leaving Oklahoma City at the peak of his powers to join the ascendant dynasty in the Bay Area alongside two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 My client was incarcerated for four days, on House Arrest for 28 days, has been vilified in the community, has been harassed in school, and has faced trauma and turmoil no 15-year-old should ever have to endure. — Laura Fay, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2026 Kyrie Irving, Novak Djokovic, Aaron Rodgers, Cole Beasley, Tyler Bertuzzi, and every day Americans were relentlessly vilified for not taking an experimental drug during the pandemic. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 In The News A year after Cracker Barrel’s leadership was vilified online for changing the restaurant’s longtime logo to get rid of the old man leaning on a barrel, the CEO who was at the helm during the change is stepping down. — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 The trailblazer may be vilified in the moment but may not be celebrated till later. — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 27 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilified
  1. smeared
  2. maligned
  3. humiliated
  4. slandered
  5. disgraced
Verb
  • Sweat glistened on the white foundation smeared across her face.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • One prank involved Quan, Capshaw, and Harrison Ford surprising Spielberg with ice cream smeared all over their faces for one take.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of smeared
Verb
  • This year’s iteration takes place in Middlesbrough, a corner of the country that has recently been much maligned.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Poor, maligned, disastrous, feels-like-being-trapped-inside-a-tuba Digger.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of maligned
Verb
  • One of its proof points was supposed to be Maine, where Graham Platner humiliated the party establishment, then himself.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But the Saudis, humiliated by their losses in Yemen, seem likely to lash out.
    — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of humiliated
Verb
  • In court filings, David Brouillette said that his second ex-wife had slandered him.
    — Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.
    — Dale Denwalt, Oklahoman, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of slandered
Verb
  • Despite their high-profile 1996 divorce, disgraced ex-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson remained extremely close for years.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Hugo Weaving plays a brilliant but disgraced attorney, drowning in debt, who reluctantly defends an allegedly dangerous dog, battling to save its life.
    — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of disgraced

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vilification
vilified
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Cite this Entry

“Vilified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilified. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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