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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Vilify \Vil"i*fy\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Vilified}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Vilifying}.] [L. vilis vile + -fly; cf. L. vilificare to esteem of little value.]
1. To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to disgrace. [R.]
When themselves they vilified To serve ungoverned appetite. --Milton.
2. To degrade or debase by report; to defame; to traduce; to calumniate. --I. Taylor.
Many passions dispose us to depress and vilify the merit of one rising in the esteem of mankind. --Addison.
3. To treat as vile; to despise. [Obs.]
I do vilify your censure. --Beau. & Fl.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
vilify
verb: spread negative information about; "The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews" [syn: {revile}, {vituperate}, {rail}] [also: {vilified}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
81 Moby Thesaurus words for "vilify": abuse, asperse, assail, attaint, bad-mouth, bark at, berate, besmirch, bespatter, betongue, blacken, blackguard, blaspheme, blot, blow upon, brand, call names, calumniate, censure, curse, cuss out, damn, debase, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, denounce, deprecate, depreciate, devalue, diminish, disapprove, disparage, engage in personalities, epithet, epithetize, execrate, expose, expose to infamy, fulminate against, gibbet, hang in effigy, heap dirt upon, jaw, libel, load with reproaches, malign, mistreat, misuse, muckrake, outrage, pillory, rag, rail at, rate, rave against, reprimand, revile, run down, slander, slur, smear, smirch, soil, speak ill of, stain, stigmatize, sully, swear, swear at, taint, tarnish, tear down, throw mud at, thunder against, tongue-lash, traduce, vituperate, yell at, yelp at
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