1
as in evil
not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable
a vile plot to murder their political enemies
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nasty
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
a vile trick to play on someone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
an outfit with a truly vile combination of colors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vile
The lingering effects of an incident so vile occurring within Burning man’s sweet bubble are bound to affect people for a long time.
—
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
This vile, heartless remark is completely unacceptable—especially from someone entrusted with our children.
—Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Defensive lineman Brendan Bett spit in the face of a South Florida offensive lineman, which was both vile and dumb at once.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 10 Sep. 2025
The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vile
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
This vile, heartless remark is completely unacceptable—especially from someone entrusted with our children.
—Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Defensive lineman Brendan Bett spit in the face of a South Florida offensive lineman, which was both vile and dumb at once.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 10 Sep. 2025
The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vile
Adjective
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Maybe evil is a spiritual substance in and of itself.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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Kang drew inspiration from gut, traditional Korean folk dancers who performed rituals to protect communities from demons and evil spirits.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The show is set just two years before the USCSS Nostromo crew touched down on LV-426, and brought something very nasty on board.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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Eddie’s answer was a little nastier than that.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The only debate is which of his five interceptions against LSU was the ugliest and/or costliest in a 20-10 loss.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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The results were ugly and caused lasting damage to our citizens' livelihoods and our city's reputation.—
Ted Wheeler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, cousin Edmund, an aspiring clergyman, falls under the charms of Mary Crawford, written by Austen as a charming but immoral woman.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
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Ladapo said the decision was not reached according to the data, but instead on his view that vaccine mandates are immoral and outside the scope of the government’s authority.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The gentle, fragrance-free formula leaves even the dirtiest of clothes spotless.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Ahead of Lipa’s arrival the team was busy setting up trays of extra dirty martinis, her preferred drink.—
Leigh Nordstrom,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hart was short, with a hideous combover.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
30 Aug. 2025
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That hideous incentive triggered My Lai and other similarly heinous attacks.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In November, jurors convicted Martinez of unlawful compensation and a related conspiracy charge.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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The world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, has ruled that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, and that Israel’s occupation and apartheid against Palestinians are unlawful.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Sena was crying in pain, and so were her new owners, who even questioned whether keeping her alive was cruel.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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Directed by Oliver Laxe, who’s been making waves at Cannes for years, the movie is funny and warm in parts, cruel and cold in others.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vile. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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