as in libeled
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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Recent Examples of vilified
Prosecutors alleged that China was vilified for wanting simple things like food and water.
—
Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
On both occasions, an adult denied a kid a baseball and was caught on camera doing so, and both were vilified on social media for their actions.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
His presence will also mean that dinner guest lists are closely-watched, with CBS News planning to bring Secretary Pete Hegseth (who has vilified media coverage in press briefings), while the influencer Clavicular is expected to make the rounds as well.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Much of Orbán’s campaign vilified neighboring Ukraine.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
Pat Fitzgerald was vilified, then vindicated.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Another signature initiative, the fact-checking news service BBC Verify, is routinely vilified by right-wing news outlets.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Yet, as often as institutional investors have been vilified for scooping up millions of homes, the data doesn’t back up the contention.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
By addressing financiers and corporate executives in Miami, Rodríguez signaled a willingness to engage directly with people her movement once vilified — an acknowledgment that foreign capital, particularly from the United States, will be central to Venezuela’s recovery.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
On both occasions, an adult denied a kid a baseball and was caught on camera doing so, and both were vilified on social media for their actions.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
His presence will also mean that dinner guest lists are closely-watched, with CBS News planning to bring Secretary Pete Hegseth (who has vilified media coverage in press briefings), while the influencer Clavicular is expected to make the rounds as well.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
Much of Orbán’s campaign vilified neighboring Ukraine.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
Pat Fitzgerald was vilified, then vindicated.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
Another signature initiative, the fact-checking news service BBC Verify, is routinely vilified by right-wing news outlets.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
Yet, as often as institutional investors have been vilified for scooping up millions of homes, the data doesn’t back up the contention.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
By addressing financiers and corporate executives in Miami, Rodríguez signaled a willingness to engage directly with people her movement once vilified — an acknowledgment that foreign capital, particularly from the United States, will be central to Venezuela’s recovery.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vilified
Verb
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Farran asked, gazing at their graves — cardboard signs smeared with handwritten Arabic because the war has made a proper burial in their village impossible.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Later on, Firecracker was tasked with addressing her church's destruction on television and smeared their reputation, betraying her former life and beliefs.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Nelson Mandela became South Africa's first Black president and a global icon – having spent 27 years in jail for his role in the fight against apartheid – his wife Winnie, who was arguably just as instrumental in that fight, has been widely maligned.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
2 May 2026
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Trump has repeatedly maligned Haitian immigrants, including falsely accusing Haitians living in Ohio of eating people’s pets.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This Mets team, with the second-highest MLB payroll at $369 million, had just been humiliated by a franchise that lost 119 games a year ago.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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One such accusation resulted in a federal lawsuit filed in September in which the former head of the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind alleged DHS management humiliated and discriminated against him before forcing him out of his job.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Now, the ultimate question of whether Walters slandered Miller will return to the district court.—
Dale Denwalt,
Oklahoman,
29 Jan. 2026
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Jerry Jones slandered my name to Cowboys media and national media for months.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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New Orleans has long been notorious for embracing such scoundrels, a reputation that isn’t exactly helped by the fact that, for many years, disgraced attorneys who lost their licenses in Louisiana and applied for readmission to the bar often got it.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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These brands have pulled sponsorship of Wireless Festival, which disgraced itself recently by scheduling Ye (formerly Kanye West) to headline.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vilified.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vilified. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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