English Dictionary
Definition of “vile”
vile (vaɪl
)
Definitions
adjective
- abominably wicked; shameful or evil ⇒
the vile development of slavery appalled them
- morally despicable; ignoble ⇒
vile accusations
- disgusting to the senses or emotions; foul ⇒
a vile smell
vile epithets
- tending to humiliate or degrade ⇒
only slaves would perform such vile tasks
- unpleasant or bad ⇒
vile weather
- paltry ⇒
a vile reward
Alternative Forms
ˈvilely adverb ˈvileness noun Word Origin
C13: from Old French vil, from Latin vīlis cheap
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
wicked,
base,
evil,
mean,
bad,
low,
shocking,
appalling,
ugly,
corrupt,
miserable,
vicious,
humiliating,
perverted,
coarse,
degrading,
worthless,
disgraceful,
vulgar,
degenerate,
abject,
sinful,
despicable,
depraved,
debased,
loathsome,
contemptible,
impure,
wretched,
nefarious,
ignoble,
=
disgusting,
foul,
revolting,
offensive,
nasty,
obscene,
sickening,
horrid,
repellent,
repulsive,
noxious,
nauseating,
repugnant,
loathsome,
yucky or yukky
yucko,
Translations
- British English:
vile
If you say that someone or something is vile, you mean that they are extremely unpleasant.The weather was vile.vaɪl ADJECTIVE The weather was vile.
- Spanish:
vil
adj
- French:
infect
adj
- German:
abscheulich
adj
- Chinese: 极坏的 adj
- Arabic: وَضِيع adj
- Portuguese: desprezível adj
- Russian: подлый adj подлая
- Croatian: podao adj podla
- Czech: hanebný adj
- Danish: afskyelig adj
- Dutch: walgelijk adj
- Finnish: paha adj
- Greek: πρόστυχος adj πρόστυχη
- Italian: disgustoso adj disgustosa
- Japanese: 堕落した no_posp
- Korean: 비열한 adj
- Norwegian: sjofel adj
- Polish: nikczemny adj nikczemna
- Brazilian Portuguese: desprezível adj
- European Spanish:
vil
adj
- Swedish: avskyvärd adj avskyvärt
- Thai: ชั่วร้าย adj
- Turkish: kokuşmuş adj
- Vietnamese: ghê tởm adj
Usage examples
Giles Rakewell -- and any of the vile ruffians who support him -- will soon suffer the terrible wrath of the state.
Fidelis Morgan, THE RIVAL QUEENS: A Countess Ashby de la Zouche Mystery (2002)Verona, for example, is a desperately Catholic place, where people stick up posters everywhere saying'blasphemy is cowardly and vile '.
Spiked (2002)And that work includes rape, murder, extortion and other vile aspects of contemporary society.
Toronto Sun (2003)The fiend put vile pictures on the web -- which were spotted in Maryland by Special Agent Mike Du Bois.
Sun, News of the World (2000)A bank of smoke, thick and vile smelling, rolled across the stream.
Cornwell, Bernard, Sharpe's Waterloo (1991)
