Denigrate vs. Vilify

Denigrateverb

(transitive) To criticise so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.

Vilifyverb

(transitive) To say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.

Denigrateverb

(transitive) To treat as worthless; belittle, degrade or disparage.

‘You have no right to denigrate people and things that you have no personal experience with.’;

Vilifyverb

(transitive) To belittle through speech; to put down.

Denigrateverb

(rare) To blacken.

Vilifyverb

To make vile; to debase; to degrade; to disgrace.

‘When themselves they vilifiedTo serve ungoverned appetite.’;

Denigrateverb

To blacken thoroughly; to make very black.

Vilifyverb

To degrade or debase by report; to defame; to traduce; to calumniate.

‘Many passions dispose us to depress and vilify the merit of one rising in the esteem of mankind.’;

Denigrateverb

Fig.: To blacken or sully; to defame.

‘To denigrate the memory of Voltaire.’;

Vilifyverb

To treat as vile; to despise.

‘I do vilify your censure.’;

Denigrateverb

belittle;

‘Don't belittle his influence’;

Vilifyverb

spread negative information about;

‘The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews’;

Denigrateverb

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone;

‘The journalists have defamed me!’; ‘The article in the paper sullied my reputation’;

Vilifyverb

speak or write about in an abusively disparaging manner

‘he has been vilified in the press’;